The Clone Wars: Duty
by Freefan1412
Summary: All began during a meeting. Then Obi-Wan found himself a new Padawan, feeling that teaching him was not going to be easy. Especially since it looked like Ahsoka found a partner in crime. In truth however, teaching was not the main problem. Obi-Wan just didn't know yet in how many battles on how many different levels he got pulled into. Rated for violence. Time travel.
1. Lost and Found

Star wars: The Clone Wars: Duty

Chapter 1: Lost and Found

* * *

The Jedi Temple towered majestically into the sky of Coruscant. The Capital's traffic, like always, formed a bubble around its airspace; ever mindful of its importance.

Just looking at it, nothing appeared out of place. Two senior Padawans stood guard at the main entrance, waiting patiently to be relieved of duty and return to the mournful battlefields of the Clone Wars, while their Masters were otherwise occupied. More than half of parking docks, usually filled with various kinds of speeders, were out of use, a sign that the stressful times in the Galaxy did not pass by the Republic's protectors.

Indeed, the very air has changed in the last few years; turning from fresh colors and every changing to stagnant silence.

Yet, inside the wide corridors and halls of the Temple Younglings, Padawans, Knights and Masters were working day in day out hard to bring peace back to the galaxy, each in their own way. The youngest ones were continuing their studies almost untouched by the war, learning to be great Jedi when their time came; still their plans lessons had needed to be adjusted to be more combat oriented.

Apprentices were researching and memorizing strategies of war at their masters' orders from the almost unlimited holochron library, copying planets' structures and organisms into their memories. Knights and Masters were reporting to the Council, were getting briefed on their new missions, attempting to ease the strain from battle away from their souls or unsuccessfully reaching for the Force's wisdom.

A carefully prevented act.

Deeper inside, some of the Order's highest ranking Jedi sat almost peacefully in a round chamber; meeting and discussing sieges, losses and the unclear Will of the Force. Of twelve chairs only three were filled with solid forms.

Besides Master Yoda, Windu and Kenobi every single other Master was currently dispatched to the frontlines.

Master Kenobi, who had only just returned from battle, was to join Master Windu and leave Coruscant to command the troops. The other nine Masters were present only as transparent projections on their appointed chairs. A more visual sign of war to those who rely on their eyes to see rather than what Force-sensitives perceive. Underlying tension swam in the air; it was rare, for Jedi took great care to control and release their emotions.

"Certain, you are, Master Fisto?" The Grand Master's small green figure hovered in his seat, his head facing the blue form of an absent Master, his pointed ears twitching in ways that suggested they were barely not slumping in a disappointed arc from yet another crisis.

"Yes, Master. The Separatist's reinforcements will make it impossible to hold our route to Ryloth." On Master Kit Fisto's features marks of battle were still clear, not physically, but his eyes showed deep shadows and his voice was raw from tiredness.

"Mhmm." Master Yoda closed his eyes shut; the wrinkles on his aged face deepened as he mused on the matter and listened to the ever so still voice of the Force to make the right decision. "Losing Ryloth, we must not. Sent Skywalker, to break the blockade, we will. Master Fisto, allow the route to close, we must not, but sent reinforcements, we cannot."

"With all due respect, Master Yoda, we have to send support. If our invasion of Ryloth is to take place as planned Master Fisto's resources cannot possibly hold."

"Strength in number, not everything is, Master Kenobi. Know that well, you should." The aged eyes of the Master bored into him with a sparkle that made Obi-Wan remember rather unwillingly a stunt or another Anakin had pulled him into. Maybe on contrary to Master Yoda's believes however, Obi-Wan had by no means forgotten that superiority in numbers did not mean an automatic win. He was simply rightfully concerned, as most Jedi did not employ strategies that resembled gambling more than actual planning. But he choose not to vice his thoughts.

"I understand, Master." Despite Master Fisto's reply, however, it was clear that he stood by his report of his troops' and ships' dire need of help.

"Give up, you must not, Master Fisto. Chance for victory, come always will. See it, you must."

"Yes, Master."

"Good. This meeting is closed. Be prepared for the next session call. May the Force be with-"

The words died on Master Windu's lips, his posture going rigid and tense as a disconnecting sensation filled the Council room, sending the three present Masters to high alert. Master Yoda's ears twitched and his eyes closed in concentration. Master Windu and Master Kenobi's hand automatically reached for their lightsaber, but in both cases the deadly weapon remained tugged on its holders. Jedi were keepers of peace; violence was never the first answer, even at war.

Not being present personally the other Masters searched for something uncommon with their eyes, not having noticed the Force's small disturbance but instead only alerted by the present Masters' actions. They remained quiet, waiting. Unable to do anything light years away.

It was just an almost unnoticeable disturbance at first, like a small stone falling in a wide lake and creating invisible waves.

Then a second stone fell and a third. With each time the waves gained in strength and failed to fade away in time, filling the Council room with the vibrating strength of the Force until it was almost solid, almost visible to the bare eye. The Force pulsed in the chamber like a heartbeat. With each beat the Force's presence gathered more and more in the middle of the room almost seeming like it was disappearing as it shrunk in size.

Instead of fading however, it grew more focused, more present and more visible.

A faint yellow illuminated the room and some of the Masters gasped, seeing the reason for unrest for the first time despite being lightyears away.

Finally the light ebbed away leaving everything as unchanged as it had been previously.

Obi-Wan took his hand of his weapon, stunned by what head just occurred, when a new wave of Force energy shook the room, again it originated from the room's center, but this time a form was appearing slowly out of thin air. His hand flashed back to his lightsaber out of reflex. Though, he still remained seated in his chair, not feeling anything threatening, as the form was stabilizing its appearance. It only took a few more seconds of anxious and yet calm waiting, as it was the Jedi way, for the form to drop lifelessly to the ground.

Instantly the stench of blood filled the room and pained breathing broke the silence. It took Obi-Wan one second to conclude there was not thread and another to let it sink in that the form was a living being. Following his first instinct he glanced at Master Yoda, his eyes still never leaving the collapse body completely.

The Grand Master was focused on the body, his expression unreadable.

Obi-Wan, seeing no longer a reason to hesitate, moved quickly from his seat. Obi-Wan was not easily caught off guard, but as he kneeled he noticed a puddle of blood leaking to the ground, flooding the artful tiles, and as he rolled the figure to its back to ease the breathing he was even more wrong-footed seeing the almost black Jedi cloak along with simple Jedi garments. The figure was a child, a boy, covered in scratches, sweat, dirt and scorched strains.

But nothing stopped his breath more than a cold sense of déjà vu.

Where the child's right hand was supposed to be a bloody stump drenched the boy's clothes and the floor in more red with every passing second. Obi-Wan only spared a time for a quick check of the child's vitals and a fleeting glance at Master Yoda, before lifting the boy up in his arms and running off to the Healers' Halls; feeling just as he did hardly a year ago on Geonosis.

* * *

Master Obi-Wan Kenobi leaned against the wall, patiently watching. A full standard rotation had already passed since the child's mysterious arrival and so far the Order's positive search results concerning him were none existent.

Weather it was in regards to the boy's identity, his affiliation, or the matter of his appearance. There were no records about anything.

A blood sample had been taken by the Healers and predictably no matches had been found in the Order's archives; the child had never been in the Temple before, had never been remotely involved with Jedi or crime. A midichlorian count had also been made and it came as no surprise that the child was exceptionally strong with the Force; second only to Knight Anakin Skywalker with a count of nineteen thousand.

A count had never actually been needed for the Masters to confirm that the boy is Force-sensetive; his presence was incredibly bright and strong, again, second only to Anakin. Unlike Master Kenobi's former apprentice, however, this child's presence was lacking depth; full of potential but little mastery over it. It was a conclusion reached after hours of meditation.

Anakin Skywalker's presence was wild, like a storm and ever shifting, restless. The boy's, in contrast, was balanced, tempered and ordered.

None of those reasons, though, were responsible for Obi-Wan standing and waiting for the child to wake up. No, it was his curiosity, which kept him there.

According to the Healers the boy was between eleven and twelve standard years, Obi-Wan remembered, as he studied the child's cleaned features again. The sense of déjà vu never left him since he first laid eyes on the child's situation so similar to his former student's. Sandy blond hair and blue eyes were written down in his medical file. The similarities were not lost on Master Kenobi and mentally he catalogued a few more; the beginnings of a cleft in the chin, the round cheeks.

It had given him plenty of cause to suspect, but the Healer's probe showed the boy was no clone of Anakin. The knowledge was relieving, especially since clones were not supposed to have midichlorian counts above average.

Now Obi-Wan tended to think more along the lines of little brother, as it was possible with the age difference if barely, or cousin or a more distant relation.

Strangely, though he didn't even consider asking for a revealing analysis of the child's genes.

The door hissed open and Master Yoda entered in his hovering chair, gimer stick placed in his lap.

"Master," the younger Council member nodded politely, before quickly changing to the subject of interest. "He has yet to wake."

Master Yoda hummed, his ears twitching as he shifted his gaze away from the boy on the bed to Obi-Wan. "Nothing unusual, sensed, you have?"

"Nothing."

The Grand Master studied the boy for a moment, before he broke off and hummed once more in thought.

"If I may ask, Master, what are we to report on this matter?"

"An internal matter this is, concerning the Force, not the war it does. Not to speak of this, we are, outside the Council for now." Master Yoda replied immediately fixing a look on Obi-Wan.

"I agree with your decision, Master. I do not think politicians would be capable of understanding this matter."

"Ha!" Master Yoda exclaimed. "Just don't like politicians you do!"

As it was true, Obi-Wan opted to not to voice any more thoughts; besides, the Senators as a group were not the Jedis' favorite people, counting very few exceptions.

Suddenly a soft groan demanded the Masters' attention.

Master Kenobi took a respectful step away from the bed to give the child a chance to come to peacefully without having his vision being shadowed by strangers; Obi-Wan knew from more experience than he cared for that waking up in the Healer's was not the most pleasant of things.

With a soft moan the boy turned his head around, as his eyes blinked open slowly, taking in his surroundings.

He had yet to notice the two people standing at the foot of his bed, directing his clouded gaze on the ceiling instead.

Sensing in the Force Obi-Wan read only blank thoughts, completely uncomprehending, giving the general impression of confusion, growing into bewilderment with each breath. The boy sighed, a sound akin to resignation before he jerked up, wide eyed and starring at the two Jedi masters.

His lips parted soundlessly, maybe in an attempt to speak or simply out of surprise, but he said no word, staring to frown instead as he let his eyes wander over them.

Confusion was swimming in the air.

"Question you have, Youngling? Hmm?" Master Yoda inquired, his eyes searching in depth.

Swallowing the boy stared at Master Yoda a while longer, his eyes flittering to Obi-Wan before switching back to Yoda. Insecurity was growing in him, his thoughts defined by different shades of why, who and what.

"Uh… where am I, Mister?" He had a light voice, not exactly soft, but close enough to be mistaken for a girl's voice of not listened carefully.

"In the Jedi Temple you are. Hurt you are."

Blinking in incomprehension, the boy didn't react for a moment. _JediTempleJediTemple _coursed around in his wildly broadcasted thoughts before his mouth fell open in astonishment. "On Coruscant?"_JediTempleonCoruscantJediJed iCoruscant__. _

There was excitement now, which Obi-Wan once used to associate with admirers. Before the war. An innocent believe in heroes and infallibility.

"Know Jedi elsewhere, you do? Hmm?"

Setting to reply, the word never left the child's lips, and his mind became suddenly curiously blank, absolutely empty and he stared with unfocused blue eyes at them. Then bewilderment bubbled up, quickly mixing with a small amount of fear and panic.

"I-"

Swallowing the boy's breath quickened, gasping. "I-"

Obi-Wan went to him, putting a hand on the boy's forehead and easing the emotions, sending his own calmness into the child's mind. Obi-Wan was no mind-healer, but panic induced state was nothing he couldn't handle; a Force-suggestion coupled with assistance at releasing emotions was all it took.

Desperately Luke's eyes found his and Obi-Wan was stuck by the conflict reflected in them; the blue orbs were swirling with feelings, a longing for hope, for knowledge, for help.

"_Who am I?"_ It was desperate, asked in a vulnerable small voice.

"Calm yourself." Obi-Wan said reassuringly, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and giving it a solid squeeze. "Think. Search your feelings."

Eying him first a bit blankly the boy finally resolved to do as he said, closing his eyes and consciously relaxing his breathing. In a near meditation exercise the tension drained out of his body, his face went slack and Force-signature swirled alive.

With eye contact broken Obi-Wan had a chance to distance himself from the young patient; time ro structure his thoughts and push the terribly annoying sense of recognition lingering in the back of his head out. Obi-Wan saw, understood that boy looked very similar to his former Padawan, but he had to look past that, at the boy himself. Not at Obi-Wan's memories of a young Anakin who had been in the care of the healers for more times than both of them had wished.

A flicker of elation resonated from the boy, who was smiling now, grinning slightly. "My name is Luke," he announced with a small amount of pride and his eyes beamed at Obi-Wan and Yoda.

"Just Luke?" Obi-Wan asked.

The boy's –Luke's- smile slid off his face, leaving behind a twisted grimace. "I don't know more. I…Who _am_ I?"

"Hmm." Hummed Master Yoda, looking intently at the young blond and making him successfully squirm. "Find this out, we will. Worry not, you should."

"You really don't know me?" The child asked, disappointed and deflating to seemingly half his size. "But I feel like I know you."

"Hmmm," said Master Yoda, looking a moment longer, before pointing a single clawed finger at the nightstand to the left of the bed. "Move the water you can?"

Luke stared, blankly, following Master Yoda's finger, before stating in a voice that suggested he did not enjoy being made fun of, "Everyone can move a glass."

Master Yoda chuckled, taking his gimer stick and jabbing in Luke's direction in a sharp motion that would hurt were Master Yoda not over a bed length away from Luke. "Yes! Yes. Moving it, easy it is. Asking, I am, if using the Force, you can."

Luke made a sound of embarrassed comprehension, before focusing his sight at on the cup of water and pointing his hand at it. Obi-Wan noticed, as Luke made the cup float to Master Yoda, that by some miracle the child had not yet pulled his right hand out from under the covers.

"Good, Youngling." Master Yoda commented when the glass was safely set back down. "Very calm, hmm." His eyes drifted between Obi-Wan and Luke with a glint. "A Jedi you are."

There was no surprise at the statement from Luke and Obi-Wan supposed that, as he was adept at using the Force, it was only natural. Though he did wonder. About the hows and whys and whens. There were many things beyond strange with the boy, his situation.

"What will happen to me now, Mister?" It occurred to Obi-Wan they hadn't introduced themselves yet.

"Remember your hand, you do?" Master Yoda asked, completely ignoring Luke's question.

"My hand?" With a puzzled frown Luke looked at his hands, pulling out the stump from the covers for a fist time.

Luke froze, both in mind and body. Then his breathing hitched and his pupils got wide, eyes twitching. Trembling, he moved the stump and suddenly he was overwhelmed; the emotions burned too fast to identify through him, making Luke's entire body shake.

Obi-Wan hadn't thought to interfere this time. It was something the boy had to deal with alone, cruel as it may seem.

From one second to the next, Luke's Force-signature stilled. Hardly ten seconds had passed.

And all that was left was a child, helplessly lost and desperate for answers.

* * *

"What are you thinking, Master?"

Obi-Wan Kenobi followed the Grand Master through the wide halls of the Jedi Temple, Master Yoda however didn't answer him. The smallest Master lead the way in silence, preferring to block the world out in favor of humming every once in a while and tilting his head for no reason.

Coming to a stop at a lightsaber training hall for younglings, Master Yoda came to a stop. It was night time and while Jedi were not reliant on the times of days, younglings and initiates were only training during night times once a week as to train them in stamina and irregularities, which were at best a constant to a Jedi. As a result the hall in question ought to be empty, but faint humming of a lightsaber disturbed the silence.

Even before entering Obi-Wan had identified Luke in the hall, his bright presence aglow with excitement and fun.

The only other being in the room was Obi-Wan's fellow council master Mace Windu, watching the boy deflect and redirect the laser needles of four training droids with his eyes blidfolded by a helmet. The movements were fluent, for one, but that was about it.

"Master Yoda, Master Kenobi," Master Windu inclined his head in greeting as they neared, to Obi-Wan he continued, "it has been decided to make him your new Padawan."

"Dangerous times this are," Master Yoda added, subdued, even before Obi-Wan could process the statement, "no darkness the child bears, but definite nothing is. Will of the Force this is. Watch him, we must."

Yes, Obi-Wan agreed with the _latter_. "Surely there are more qualified masters for this task then me?" Their conversation was in quiet voices, making the zipping of lasers resound all the louder.

"It must be you," Master Windu said wryly, "because you already have experience with unpredictable and unorthodox students."

"Shouldn't it be every Jedi's strive to learn." Obi-Wan argued, feeling blindsided and a bit taken advantage of. "Surely Luke does provide a perfect opportunity."

"That it is, but the boy didn't feel like he knew me or any of the other Jedi I showed him inconspicuously. Which left only you or Master Yoda. We shouldn't ignore such a sign. And I hear you seem to be bonding with him already."

It was an overstatement. All Obi-Wan had done was ease the strain from a child's mind once and he didn't think making conversation with a patient in need counted as bonding. At least not by Jedi standards. But it also wasn't like he could just say he felt stuck in a flashback and that a persistent mind in the back of his mind wouldn't stop telling him he was talking to Anakin. Obi-Wan needed to mediate and find his focus again; it didn't help that Luke liked taling once he had opened up to Obi-Wan.

"Jedi's work he shall do. Take him to battle and teach him, you will. And reporting to us if changing he does or memory he has."

Master Kenobi sighed. "Yes, Master." His last experience with a Padawan had been by no means normal or easy on the heart, but Obi-wan would not be the man he was today without his dear former student. Surely teaching Luke would be an educating experience as well.

"Masters?" Luke raised his voice, interrupting their discussion, sounding slightly out of breath. "This is boring."

As one, the three Masters turned to the subject of their conversation Master Kenobi felt a sense of foreboding.

The four droids were lying down on the floor, sparks of electricity created a picture of unintentional destruction. Either they had been taken out with a hit, overheated or had been hit by too many reflected needle shots.

"Well, leaving you to your knew Padawan, we shall."

Master Windu and Yoda left the newly reappointed teacher behind and Master Kenobi levitated a practice lightsaber to his hand with a sigh. If he was to take another child to war he had to know how far his abilities reached.

* * *

Luke sat on the floor, breathing hard, his blond strands sticky with sweat, but his eyes had more live in them than seen before.

"Do you like fighting, Luke?"

As he always did, as Obi-Wan quickly learned, Luke frowned in thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know, Master." Whenever he was asked something during their practice and even now Luke was understandably slightly insecure with his answer. The child didn't know his past, and as a result didn't know himself. "This is fun, but it isn't really fighting."

Putting a hand to his beard obi-Wan nodded, analyzing the statement and what conclusions he could draw from it. So far Luke was a primary example for a Padawan. Calm mixed with bouts of excitement, yet curious, with the Jedi Code imprinted in his memories. Though, Obi-Wan had a hunch that simply because he knew the code and rules did not mean he followed them as well as he memorized them. However, setting him apart from other Padawans was not the still lacking haircut or the wide eyes he made at new parts of the Temple. It was his very distinct fighting style; a style full of holes, light steps, unpredictable movements and surprises.

The boy fought completely random; no technique, no pattern, no distinguished pattern. It was good for surprises, but had too many openings. What bothered Obi-Wan most, however, was his precision and creativity in his movements. Something like that did not come from insecurity or from being self-taught. It was a mark of experience, which brought up a troublesome point. One of two things that had to be had to be cleared up before Obi-Wan would let him anywhere near battle.

Lifting an eyebrow interest Obi-Wan watched as Luke dropped down next to the droids he had damaged earlier when he didn't get a new dircetion from Obi-Wan. Luke picked one up, inspected it critically, then used the Force with pinpoint precision to loosen one screw after another, took the machine carefully apart and then set it back together. Luke had a sparkle in his eyes as he worked that told a great deal about Luke's hobbies outside of Jedi procedures.

Obi-Wan noted the artificial hand did not bother him at all. That was good.

After the third droid had taken off into the air again Obi-Wan thought it best to use the fact that Luke was relaxed and experiencing enough joy to send waves of his emotions through the entire hall to touch a possibly straining subject.

"Luke?"

"Yes, Master?" The boy didn't even look up from his work, not to mention that the reply sounded absurdly automatic already.

"I realize this is probably not easy for you, but living in the past or dwelling on long gone matters is dangerous."

"I know, Master," Luke replied, looking at Obi-wan with an earnest expression. "I won't dwell. I want to know about my past. I want to know what happened to me and why you don't seem to know me. But I'll be fine. I'm on Coruscant in the Jedi Temple; it's where I should be, I think." There was a frown there. "Or I wouldn't be here, would I? It must be the will of the Force. And I know half my name and my purpose." He set his jaw. "I won't let it bother me."

"That wasn't what I wanted to talk about, Luke," Obi-Wan corrected as gently as he could. He had never been a person who could apply 'gentle' very well, though he wished he could. "Oftentimes traumatic experiences on the body influence the mind as well."

Luke put two halves of the robot back together and watched it fly off to its storage on the wall where it deactivated itself. As he turende to look at Obi-Wan there was a deep sadness tainting him.

"I felt that it hurt." Pausing, Luke fingered the rim of his new gleaming prosthetic, before clenching the new limp to a fist so hard his grip could break bones. "My arm burned, but more than that it hurt here. I felt like I was on fire." With his cybernetic hand dropping in his lap, Luke dug his flesh hand into his tunic, his expression one of sorrow and pain and anguish simply form remembering.

* * *

This was something I had to get out of my head. I couldn't focus on anything else. :)

This story will run along the Star Wars The Clone Wars episodes, but I will not be putting every episode into words. I want to focus more on the bridges in between, character development, bonding and building of relationships.

The Clone Wars: Duty won't be my focus, but updates will always come sooner or later and I won't drop this ever.

Please review and let me know what you think of this idea.

Edit: 13.2.2013


	2. Storm over Ryloth

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Duty

Chapter 2: Storm over Ryloth

* * *

When the shuttle's artificial gravity activated as it left Coruscant's atmosphere, the small ship filled with quiet humming of generators which drew the attention from one of its occupants outside the window, away from a datapad he had to memorize.  
Three gigantic triangular ships hovered in space; small shuttles traveling in between like ants, making final preparations to set off to hyperspace. With Luke´s walls down his awe at the mass of technology and life, drifting just outside of the planet's field, transmitted clearly to his Master.

"Mind your shields, young one. You mustn't broadcast your emotions. It confuses you and all your allies even if they aren´t force-sensitive and gives away our strategies to the enemy."

Obi-Wan Kenobi had once again been pleasantly surprised when he had tried to teach his new Padawan how to shield. It had taken hardly more than a reminder that Luke hadn't been protecting his thoughts. Weather he was happy that Luke had simply forgotten to do so, however, still wasn´t clear. On one hand it meant he wouldn´t have to teach the skill to him, but on the other side it possibly implied that he might forget to protect his mind again.

"Yes, Master."

Luke tugged on the leathern glove covering his right hand as he studied the ship he was about to spent the next few hours on. The glove and new clothes had been provided by the temple; he wore a simple white tunic as an undershirt with several brown colored layers to provide him with sufficient warmth in the cold of space while a long vest served to give the traditional Padawan-style just a bit of individuality. A Padawan Braid twirled on the right side of his head and announced just as well as a newly handmade lightsaber his status.

"But they are amazing. Do you know what engine models they have? Or reactor? Do you think I can get a look at them?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, before he added, "I don´t think I've ever been on a ship that big."

"Perhaps if we survive. Time won't be sufficient for more this time, Luke."

"Oh." He gave the closing ships another fascinated look before reluctantly returning to memorize data about war strategies and specifically Ryloth's landscape, terrain and noteworthy organisms.

* * *

"General. Welcome aboard."

Commander Cody along with a small troop of clone soldiers saluted as Obi-Wan stepped down from the shuttle's stairs in the hanger of a republican cruiser.

"A third Jedi Fighter has been put in store without us being informed of it previous to the transporter's arrival." To those familiar with the Clone Commander his posture and tone alone showed his question, to Jedi sight disapproval was also visible.

"It is all right, Cody. I´m sorry if we caused inconvenience. It was a last minute adjustment to me, too."

"What was, if I may ask?"

Obi-Wan stepped to the side to show his subordinates his new Padawan who had not been in sight behind him and was still standing on the shuttle's stairs, gazing around the hander with great interest.

"Commander, meet my new Padawan. Luke this is Commander Cody, my first in command. He will show you the ship later, so remember him well." Obi-Wan felt the surprise of his soldiers flare up for a moment before it was replaced with usual blunt acceptance as well as a bit of skepticism.

Luke on the other hand had his shields firmly in place, keeping his emotions inside, but still slightly lowered so he was able to mark every clone´s individual presence in the force. He stood in front of the Commander with a polite smile and nod as he repeated his introduction despite the wariness Obi-Wan received from Luke and the usual confusion that tagged along with sudden impressions from his past.

Cody returned the nod, then he seemingly dismissed the matter entirely as he turned to face his General.

"Sir, General Windu is requesting your presence on the bridge."

"Let's not keep him waiting then and hear what Anakin has been up to." His Padawan´s walls slammed in place. Obi-Wan had a feeling it had little to do with the fact that he didn´t need to keep them half closed anymore, but he didn´t pursue the matter. For now.

As the troopers returned to work and Obi-Wan, Cody and Luke followed down the long corridors of the ship towards the commando center Cody fell in step beside him.

"A Padawan, sir?" He kept his voice low, though Obi-Wan wasn´t sure Luke didn´t hear it still, even though he was walking few steps behind them. Jedi in general heard better than civilians and clones.

However, the boy had been exceptionally quiet ever since they arrived and no emotions leaked out. It wouldn´t have mattered much, with Obi-Wan thinking he was just absorbed in the surrounding machinery, had it not been for the fact that Luke kept his sight on the ground with eyes rather empty, suggesting he was deep in thought. Still, his empty eyes darted around from time to time showing sharp focus only for a second. A frown decorated his face just as his hands fidget on his lightsaber´s hilt.

He was going to have to address him about his change in attitude soon.

"Ah, yes, it came as quite a surprise." Litrally. "But Luke has a bit of a special situation. He lost his memories and requires personal guidance."

"Sir?"

"Don´t worry, Cody. Only personal ones. "

Cody threw an appraising look back at Luke. "He is still young, isn't he, sir? Younger than Commander Tano, I mean."

"Indeed. About twelve standard years. But his skill is above his age class, Cody. You won't have to look out for him."

"Yes, Sir."

Obi-Wan sensed Cody's small relief. It was the Clones' duty to protect their superiors to the best of possibilities, and that work was that much easier when the subject had skill far surpassing the average soldier's abilities.

The bridge's doors slid open and closed as the three of them walked to Master Windu.

"Master Windu", Obi-Wan greeted as Cody saluted and Luke bowed; his mind now much more present.

"Master Kenobi", he returned, "Commander, Padawan." He acknowledged the last two with a curt nod before leaving the bridge to enter the command center at the bridge's back.

"I have requested a status report from Skywalker. He should be on standby." A new pair of automatic doors hissed open and the clones inside the control room paid respect quickly to return to their work on different strategic holograms.

"Skywalker is standing by," one informed as the Master Windu and Kenobi reached the round holographic transmitter. Luke followed Cody and stood in reasonable distance on the side sa not to be in reach of sensors that would make him part of the discussion. Mater Windu pressed a button and the machine sprang to life.

"Masters," the transparent projection of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker greeted. He seemed healthy, but shadows and deep lines of worry marked the face of the young Knight and a familiar spark of eagerness and life was missing.

"Anakin", Obi-Wan replied, while Master Windu chose a more formal approach. At the side Luke's eyes were locked on to the Jedi, with his face carefully blank, his walls high and impenetrable.

"Your progress, Skywalker?"

"We engaged the enemy once without making progress, Master Windu," Anakin sighed. He bowed over a few buttons and a hologram appeared on the round transmitter table. Two republican cruisers, six cruisers of the Separatists as well as a commando ship displayed the current division of power. General Skywalker's troops were badly at a disadvantage.

"They caught us by surprise, Master. We were outnumbered."

"How many men did you lose", Obi-Wan asked.

"We lost a cruiser. The Redeemer. Plus an entire squadron of fighters." Master Skywalker's body language and voice told how he personally felt about the losses, Luke noted, and that even though Jedi were not supposed to show them. He gave Luke confidence and hope for some reason, as well as a good distraction from his other mixed up feelings he could barely keep shielded right now.

"And….your Padawan?" Master Kenobi's voice was cautiously sympathetic in his inquiry.

"No, ah, Ahoska is fine. She is just recovering from the battle. Losing her squadron was… hard to take. "

"Give her time. But Anakin, you will need her help if you're going to get through this." Master Kenobi used a bit of a tone Luke had come to associate with preaches as he looked at Master Skywalker with intense eyes.

"I know."

"Your forces have been cut in half, Skywalker. If you can' break through that blockade before the next planetary rotation, we'll have to postpone the invasion."

"The Twl'leks can't wait forever, Master. The longer the Tecno Union keeps control of Ryloth, the more difficult it will be to free them." Energy and determination appeared on Master Skywalker's features as he answered Master Windu, confirming that he was going to continue his assault on the blockade.  
Luke pushed everything he was feeling further into the depth of his mind to inspect in during his next meditation.

"I agree. We don't have much time."

The Jedi fell in a short silence, before Master Kenobi and Windu nodded once and deactivated the transmitter. Luke doubted Master Skywalker even noticed.

"Well then, seeing how Anakin will take care of his end I guess we no longer have a reason to stick around."

"Indeed," Master Windu agreed and left the control room. Shortly after, a soft tug signaled the jump to hyperspace.

"Commander Cody, please show my new Padawan around the ship now. When you are finished, return here."

"Sir." He saluted, then turned to Luke, who was following his Master with his eyes. "This way, Young One."

* * *

Commander Cody led the General's apprentice away from the engine room after half a standard hour, but still only with the arguments that they still had a lot of ground to cover and that he was free to return later to inquire more details from the mechanics.

"Down this corridor are the escape pods and further down is the bridge," Cody explained as they walked past a crossroad. "The mess hall is that way and this," he pressed a button on a door, "is a weaponry." The lock on the door beeped in admittance, a red monitor turning green as the door slid open.

"Wow." The young Padawan stepped inside to look around the dimly lit room in awe.

"Our main store of blasters." Cody was mildly pleased to see that he got the child to cheer up during the tour and with this. It was not his duty to care for his superior's state of mind, but he was programmed to care for civilians. Commander Luke was no civilian, but his age let to an easy confusion he didn't mind all that much at the moment. Especially since it seemed to him that the Commander was somewhat displeased with him.

The boy lifted a heavy blaster of the wall and inspected it with critical fascination. He carefully twisted it in his hands until he had two parts in his hand, which he both eyed as well and then set them back together.

"These are all so amazing," the young Commander admitted as Cody closed and locked the door behind him as they left. "I wonder if Master Kenobi would allow me to tinker with one."

"If you want to mess with machines, Young One, how about that one." They had now entered a different side of the hanger; a part where fighters and bombers were on standby. Within all this Cody pointed at a new metallic blue fighter.

"You think I'll be allowed to work on that fighter?" Luke walked over to it and examined it with interest.

"Well, it is your fighter, Commander."

Luke looked up. "My fighter? What do you mean?" Even as he spoke a wide smile made its way on to his features.

"All Jedi, Commander and above, are admitted a personal fighter," Cody explained.

"Really?" Luke jumped on the ship's wing, pressed a button to open that cockpit and jumped in. The engines hummed to life for a moment, then got shut down again. An equally new R7 unit beeped from its position as it, too, activated. Cody decided that at this point he didn't need to speak anymore, guessing that every word would just pass right through.

"R7, transmit the specs to my monitor here, please."

After an acknowledging series of beeps with the ships data files arriving on a small monitor in his cockpit, which Luke scanned over carefully, he asked Commander Cody for a tool box.

Lying down on his back to roll under the ship's hull with several tools in hand, Luke set to work on his own personal fighter. He was positively gleeful; his arms were itching just to take the machine apart, to make it faster, to test it. He loosened a screw, another, until he peeled a piece of metal off, revealing cables, small pipes and wires. His hands moved almost on his own as he snapped a strand.

Working on his ship, Luke's mind wandered off, free to take a look at the emotions he had banished deep down to his soul to prevent his Master from sensing them. Even though he had no idea what triggered them, Luke knew that just felling them was bad. They were too intense, so strong that even now, in a place free of other Jedi, he shrank back from touching them.

Remembering back to when he first arrived on board, choosing to start with a feeling more like a hunch, Luke recalled what he felt. It warned him to remain on guard, if possible run, to be alert, to avoid as many as possible. Anxiousness. Distrust. Dread.

But even now he didn`t know why he felt like this. No clone had threatened him, as far as he knew, he had felt no aggression, no ill intent. Just the plain existence that was a Clone.

Connecting three different wires with a cable he resolved to keep this hunch in mind, maybe ask his Master about it, but otherwise ignore it. It was going to be a bother otherwise. Not to mention that the only clone he had talked to so far was really nice.

Having cleared one mass of emotions he proceeded to the next. These ones he didn't have to remember; they were still very present in his chest, even if distant.

It had started when Master Windu mentioned Master Skywalker's name. Or at least that was when he thought it had stared. When he had heard the name, Luke had thought immediately, without a shred of doubt, that he knew Master Skywalker. The name had been familiar, far more so than Master Kenobi's or Master Yoda's.

Repeating the name in his mind now it sounded just simply natural. Like he should know it, like it was important, like it had been so much more present in his life than anything else he remembered.

Luke didn't know what to do with this knowledge. He couldn't tell his Master, because of everything else he had felt and seen when he Anakin Skywalker's hologram appeared.

It had only been for the briefest part of a second, but when he had seen Master Skywalker's transparent appearance it had changed in his eyes. The Master Skywalker he had seen had looked at him, had smiled.

What Luke knew without a doubt to be his memory had disappeared too quickly to see, feel more emotions from Master Skywalker or to properly identify the look in his eyes, but Luke really didn't mind. Even now the first piece of memory that had returned made him happy. Really happy.

Back then, after the apparition had disappeared from his sight to sink in his memories, the real challenge to keep his emotions in check had started.

Seeing Master Skywalker move, hear his voice had created a whirlwind far stronger than what any Jedi should feel. That he wasn't particularly bothered he conflicted with the Jedi Code was another matter he had to take a look at later. Right now, though, he had to try to make clear why he felt this much so clearly he didn't even have to bother to analyze his feelings to put a name to most of them.

Admiration. Pride. Respect. Pain. Fear. Trust. Longing. Love. Guilt. A desire to impress.

Luke sighed, frustration bubbling up as he diverted the ship's energy flow with the help of a cable.

He didn't know what to do with those. They were ebbing away now, but would he always be challenged by so many emotions when he saw Master Skywalker?

And more importantly, what did they mean?

Would Master Skywalker recognize him? Or was it going to be the same as with Master Kenobi and Master Yoda?

His transmitter beeped.

* * *

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in the control room with Master Windu, discussing plans for ground assault and possible scenarios should Anakin be unable to break the blockade, when a clone operator informed them it was time to for battle preparations.

"It seems your Padawan and Commander have not yet returned," Master Windu commented as they stepped out on to the bridge.

"Indeed. I wonder what is keeping them so long." Pressing a few buttons on his communicator he signaled both Cody and Luke.

_"Sir?" _Cody answered immediately.

_"Master?" _Obi-Wan didn't know him very well yet, still, in his automatic comparison to Anakin, Luke did sound …. Guilty.

"What is keeping you so long?"

_"We are currently finishing in the hanger, Sir." _

"Well, Luke, return to the bridge, Cody to your position. We will arrive shortly."

_"Understood." _A mark on his communicator showed that Cody finished the transmission. Luke did not, however.

"Luke?"

_"Yes, Master?" _He most definitely did sound like Anakin when he did something against orders and Obi-Wan found out.

"Is something wrong?"

_"….I was wondering, may modify my fighter?"_

"Not now. We will arrive in 0030."

_"…..Yes, Master."_

"Luke, did you already start?" Master Windu threw him an almost pitying look, which Obi-Wan didn't see.

_"…."_

"Luke?"

_"I only increased the speed by 5 percent so far."_

Obi-Wan mentally groaned.

"Next time please ask before you start working."

_"I´m sorry, Master, I forgot."_

"I see. Come up to the bridge now anyway."

_"Yes, Master."_

His communicator shut down.

The Luke that entered the bridge sent Obi-Wan once again a picture of the past, while it at the same time set Luke more from Anakin apart than any picture could possible do the opposite.

Small oil strains on Luke's cheek made Obi-Wan almost swear a young Anakin walked in.

On the contrary he profoundly lacked the air of irritation Anakin always had when his hobby of meddling with machines had been interrupted.

"Masters." Walking up to them Luke gazed out into hyperspace, his expression no longer as unnaturally blank as before and his equally more comfortably normal walls left his Obi-wan feel anxiousness and apprehension. He was going to have to talk to his Padawan after the mission, it seemed.

"Have you memorized Ryloth before you decided to make your ship faster than any speed limitations, my young Padawan?"

Luke's cheeks colored, turning his eyes away from the countless flashes of light that symbolized passing stars. "I did, Master."

"Good. We'd rather not be lost on an unfamiliar planet." Luke opened his mouth to, but apparently thought better of it and kept quiet.

A siren sounded in the ship, red warning lights glowed, at the same time the entire ship's tension jumped.

"Coming out of hyperspace now, Generals."

Outside the ship white-blue swirling space returned to singled dots of light and deep darkness, Ryloth's dusty red mass lightened space in front the invasion fleet in foreboding. Grief, despair, hurt, hate reflected from the planet's surface.

"Oh, dear." Master Kenobi sighed resigned.

A single republican battleship, angled against the enemy fleet, was under heavy attack; fires already broken out on the underside, while several squadrons of fighters and bombers outflanked the enemy cruisers, destroying and immobilizing them at a high pace.

"We have contact with the Resolute and Commander Tano," a clone soldier informed.

"Ahsoka, this is Obi-Wan. May we begin our landing?" Master Kenobi asked in the room, while keeping his eyes on the battle with the corners of his lips twitching.

"Yes, Master. You're cleared for ground assault," Master Skywalker's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano's confident voice answered to the bridge.

"I won't even ask where the rest of Anakin's fleet is. Or why he is in an escape pod." Master Kenobi traded glances with Master Windu as he spoke, who shook his head in resignation, putting special emphasis on the last word. The presence that was Anakin Skywalker freely floated in space, next to countless pieces of metal and ship parts.

"That's... probably for the best. Rex that reminds me. Send a shuttle to pick up Master Skywalker."

The connection ended and Master Kenobi and Windu turned around, leaving the bridge with Luke trailing behind to head towards the hanger.

* * *

The reason that Anakin is sometimes titled as Master is no mistake. To every Padawan all Jedi are Masters (in a sense of teachers) so when the word is used it is in the context of Luke's or Ahsoka's thoughts.

It sure is hard not to fall back into my usual writing pattern when writing thoughts. And I really want to add wry comments every now and then, but i can`t do that. It doesn't mix with this story.

Well, this is the second chapter. What do you think? Please comment.

Disclaimer: The quotes used do not belong to me. Neither does the Star Wars universe.


	3. Innocents of Ryloth

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Duty

Chapter 3: Innocents of Ryloth

* * *

The hanger was brimming with life this time around; clones were running around, fighters were manned and made ready for takeoff and gunships were getting loaded with clone troopers.

Jedi Generals Marce Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, with the latter's apprentice trailing behind, walked with precise decision through the masses of weapons, clones and metal, towards a single ship with room left in its transport space, not minding their surroundings.

While the Generals were discussing their troops' strength and important cities to take the young Padawan noticed the cruiser's gravity generators deactivate as the planet's natural field replaced it. Luke, feeling his lips grow heavier from the slightly stronger pull, took a deep breath to calm his nerves and let the Force flow unhindered through his blood, giving him strength, making him adapt to the circustances.

A shadow from the gunship took away the yellow light falling from the ceiling and Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan walked past the stopping General Windu onboard the ship.

"First tick will be getting out troops on the ground," Obi-Wan remarked as he stepped onto the hard ground of the ship's transport space. Luke, standing next to him as Obi-Wan turned around to face General Windu again, didn't even trying to reach to the holders hanging from the transport's ceiling, being too small to reach them.

"If you take the city of Nabat first, we'll have our landing zone." Master Windu looked ready for combat as well, even though he was still going to remain out of battle with his troops, waiting and backing Obi-Wan's offensive up, to minimize losses and stop possible reinforcements from the Separatists.

"Well, it's time to meet the natives," Obi-Wan commented as the heavy, reinforced shield doors slammed close, red lights leaving the gunship's hull dimly lit.

Weapons clicked as their clone operators checked and doubled checked their status; eagerness, nervousness filled the air. Humming and vibrations ran through metal walls as the ship lifted off the ground, swaying in its movement, making Luke reach out with his artificial hand to the nearby metal door to keep from stumbling. Anxiousness and apprehension had set into an unnoticeable cold knot in his stomach that left his thoughts dreadfully clear and his pulse beating only little faster than normal.

"Are you all right?" Obi-Wan Kenobi, standing confidently prepared next to him, directed a kind inquiring look at Luke, standing confidently prepared next to the Padawan.

"Yes, Master," Luke answered plainly, automatically.

Obi-Wan felt no lie, not the lightest insecurity in Luke's plain answer and it unsettled him that the boy didn't even feel natural nervousness for a first mission or even fear. Though, Obi-Wan felt none the less he had to reassure his Padawan. No matter what had happened in his past, Luke didn't remember it and falsely placed confidence, fear or distance will prove fatal. So he gave teh child a few words of encouragement.

"But so many will die," Luke mumbled and Obi-Wan watched as his Padawan's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his own comment, only to set in a familiar confused frown.

Obi-Wan swallowed bitterly. Unfortunately, with this, he had his previous thought of Luke being too experienced confirmed. What was even more troubling, however, Obi-Wan noted disturbed, was that he apparently had fought with huge numbers, too, already and was attuned to the losses that came along with it.

"But we will save even more lives," he reminded his student. It was something Obi-Wan remembered every day, when he looked into the faces of his soldiers, who walked on despite losing brothers in too huge numbers.

"Yes, Master."

The Master nodded, turning away from Luke and pressed the wide broadcasting button on his communicator to begin his battle instructions as the air tight blaster shields in the door slid open. He stepped forward, drawing the attention of the now naturally lit ship towards him.

"We need to remember why we're here," he began, looking at the troopers with authority. "We came to aid the Twi'leks, not destroy their home. Cody." He stepped back, changing position with Commander Cody, who already had finished his last minute preparations.

"That means we'll be taking it back the hard way," speaking loud and with an edge he reserved for giving orders only, Commander Cody fluently cleared the General's orders up for his brothers. "Minimal destruction with blasters and droid popper _only. _No rockets or detonators. Check your aim. Keep an eye out for the locales. Am I understood?" Raising his voice at his last question Commander Cody earned the standard reply from the present troopers.

Then, all of a sudden shooting started; something exploded just feet away from their ship.

Picking up speed the noise in the gunship's hull made it hard to hear anything else while weak shock waves passed through blaster shields' slits, carrying with them the smell of smoke, fresh air, earth and burned metal.

The ship shook and Luke tightened his grip on the door.

As he gazed outside he caught a glimpse of something moving beneath the scattered trees. Mentally running down the list of animals he had memorized just hours ago and taking the terrain in consideration Luke guessed it was either a Gutkurr or a Rycrit. He hoped it was the latter, non-violent, creature.

The dozen of ships flew with a loose formation at high speed towards the enemy base, intending to land as close yet save as possible. Inside one transport Luke froze as he watched a ship flying close to them, knowing very well he couldn't do a single thing about it, while he saw a proton shot hit the fellow transport with his inner eye.

Seconds later the Gunship blew up in reality.

A dozen of lives vanished in the Force and Luke swallowed; guilt, despite knowing it wasn't his fault, nagged at him, despite knowing he could have done.

Empty faces flashed before his eyes, never to smile, curse or cry again.

His guilt and sickness faded quickly and Luke felt a wave of disgust at himself, disturbed that he accepted death so quickly, so uncompromisingly. It made him sick.

With a waring beep a life sized hologram of Master Windu appeared, pulling Luke's attention back, away from himself.

"Our shields don't hold," Marce Windu informed Obi-wan grimly. "We can't risk landing the larger transports until you take out those guns."

"Pull back. We'll take care of it," Master Kenobi stated, leaving no room for doubt in his voice and Master Windu wordlessly disappeared as a new pressured airwave rattled the ship, sending small spikes of fear into the Force.

Descending to the ground, the blast shields slid completely open, giving a clear view to the dry, sparely vegetated landside. Dust and dirt swirled in the air while the ship lowered to an acceptable high, disturbing the peace of nature and prompting a pair of Gutkurrs to flee.

When the ship sank into the cloud of dirt Luke didn't bother protecting his eyes from the dust, instead waiting for Master Kenobi to give a sign.

Despite being almost sickenly calm Luke didn't really know what he was supposed to do once the fighting started. He was confident in his skill and survival, but he wasn't sure how to fight with the clones and the employed tactics. In spite of clearly understanding the order not to damage the buildings and mission to take the small city, Luke wavered thinking how he was supposed to move in a group, unsure of where he would have to stop his advance, when to fall back or when a soldier needed help.

Master Kenobi jumped, drawing the clones with him form the transport, leaving Luke to make up the rear guard. Following quickly to the dry ground, his lightsaber slipping into his hand without as much as a thought, the Padawan ran thought the trees after he had pushed all his thoughts aside.

A red beam of light impacting in a tree, announced the start of lethal combat, forcing the clone troopers to take cover behind trees as they advanced slowly towards a blockading bunker.

Genaral Kenobi, though, didn't bother with sidestepping movements, instead catching red lasers intended for him with his lightsaber, sending the red attack either harmlessly into the ground or back towards the attacker until he reached the front row of trees and a big rock providing cover. Further back, the Padawan followed carefully the Master's example utilizing his handmade blue blade with precision as he took beams out of their intended course, hurrying to catch up.

"That bunker is gonna be a problem, General!" Commander Cody, arriving at the General's position, stated.

"Leave the bunker to me. Bring in your troopers on my signal," the General responded while looking with half an eye for his apprentice, who was skillfully blocking every blast intended for him with his unorthodox fighting style.

"Lets take them out," Master Kenobi announced as a pair of troopers reached his position shortly followed by his apprentice.

The troopers, understanding immediately the General's order activated two round balls of metal, making them send out high paced, high pitched warning signals. The apprentice, however, did not understand and looked at him confused while straining his muscles and gripping the hilt of his weapon harder.

Master Kenobi held up a hand, signaling him quickly to wait and watch as a trooper threw an activated droid popper.

The throw did not reach the droids on a tower by far, but as Master Kenobi waved his hand the small, dangerous magnetic bomb flew up to their position. Hardly a second passed until blue sparks of electricity climbed the droids' figures, instantly deactivating them. A second bomb quickly followed, taking the second tower out and signaling the troops to start their advance, to leave the trees behind as they quickly stormed the outpost.

* * *

"The wall is secure, Sir. Are we moving on to the guns?" Commander Cody reported as Master Kenobi and Luke were walking through the outpost. A smoke tower rising at the horizon marked a source of emotions that were rolling through the Force.

"We need to know what the droids have in store for us," Master Kenobi thought aloud. "Send your best men to scout ahead."

"Will do, Sir", Cody saluted, turning around and addressing two clones nearby. "Boil, Waxer, come with me."

"I guess, we are the best," one of the two whispered to the other causing the passing Padawan to smile as he watched their retreating backs.

"Master,"Luke began, taking advantage of relative privacy "I was wondering, what am I supposed to do?"

Master Kenobi tilted his head, facing him while patrolling the village and checking up on the troops and forces a last time before contacting Master Windu.

"What do you mean?"

"While fighting. What am I supposed to do?"

Hiding a secretive, relieved smile behind his beard Master Kenobi carefully assessed his student's state after his first battle."Why do you ask? Do you feel that you did wrong?"

The Padawan hesitated.

"No, I don't think so, Master."

Sensing that the young one was not quite finished yet despite averting his features, Master Kenobi remained silent, searching the Force and probing tentatively the child's mind. Finding nothing that wasn't evident in Luke's eyes when he returned his line of sight at his Master, Obi-Wan found it difficult not to remind his student to control his emotions immediately, but he didn't.

Confusion. Helplessness.

Starring at Obi-Wan from Anakin's face the latter was so utterly unusual, bordering on wrong that he instinctively bit down teh lecture he already had half finished in his mind.

"But was what I did really right? Was I supposed to fight where I did? When I did? Could fewer clones have died if I did differently? Could we have gotten this place faster?"

"Don't dwell." The answer was out before he even finished about the questions. "Where would we if we considered every step we have done, thinking what could have been done differently, when it is already in the past?" Obi-Wan pierced deep in those familiar ice blue pits. "You did fine."

Luke broke eye contact, doubtful. "I still felt so lost."

"Well, yes," Master Kenobi admitted, again secretly relieved, "but that is natural. You were fighting a battle for the first time, feeling insecure is perfectly fine. Especially since you have this unfortunate situation with your memories."

"But I only feel like this now, I haven't before, Master. Not at all in the temple. Everything was fine then."

"And on the ship?"

Luke didn't answer, stiffening slightly and carefully glancing around, swallowing. "Can we talk about that, Master? I don't know what to think."

"Not for now, Luke," as it didn't seem to be a simple matter Obi-Wan regretted having to push his new Padawan's obviously unsettling worries aside. "But you did fine. Just remember to trust your instincts and we will talk as soon as possible."

Master Kenobi gave his Padawan an encouraging nod, but with his communicator signaling, their conversation was declared over anyway. "Come along. We need to hear what Cody has to say."

"Yes Master."

Marching through the deserted village, passing clone troopers, mindful, but uninfluenced by their clouds of emotion and the overlying shadows of fear, despair, hate and pain covering the whole planet, Obi-Wan Kenobi let his mind wrap in all kinds of military maneuvers and strategies; planning, without really knowing anything about the situation yet.

He left the village's main street to enter a damaged building on his left, which had two clone trooper standing guard at the broken wall that served as an entrance to a room that suggested its original purpose was similar to a cinema or church.

Inside Commander Cody and a fellow clone were already waiting for the General and his apprentice, a holo-projector set on the ground. Both soldiers stood to attention as the two Jedi entered.

"General. Commander."

"Cody. What do you have?"

A hologram of both the village up ahead and Master Windu appeared in the air and Obi-Wan stepped close to it, expecting Cody to stard his explanation.

"We found the guns. They are in the courtyard here," he pointed at a spot on the hologram, "and here. But there is a complication. They have taken the locals hostage and they're using them as shields."Cody divided his attention between the two present Generals, turning his helmed face from Master Windu to Kenobi, while giving his assessment, his emotions showing a split between programmed rationality towards hostages and personal feelings towards it.

"The Twi'lek prisoners will make this difficult," Master Kenobi mused, stroking his beard with a gloved hand in thought, "but not impossible. I still have a good plan for taking out those guns."

"Getting the villagers out of harm's way is our first priority," Master Windu ordered, "I have faith in you General Kenobi."

"Cody, will go in with everything we have. Clear those hostages."

"Yes, Sir." Cody gave a quick nod, then left the two Generals as he motioned his clone brother to follow to prepare for an attack.

"Skywalker has finished up with the blockade and started air assault on other cities," said Master Windu bluntly, ignoring the clones's depature.

"Did you order him to?" Luke understood somehow perfectly from Master Kenobi's tone that the question was purely empty routine, that the Master didn't really need an answer.

"No."

Master Kenobi sighed. "Naturally. Can you inform him of our hostage situation so that he'll keep an eye out?"

"It would be much easier just ordering him to stop," Master Windu put in.

"No, this is better. Anakin is confusing them. I'd wager it'll make our work easier in the long run."

"He is putting civilians' lives at risk."

"I'm sure he is careful."

Master Windu paused, just a second too long to not be considering to argue back before he finally conceded. "Very well. I expect contact when we are cleared for landing, Kenobi."

"Master Windu," Luke bowed as Obi-Wan gave his reply just before the Master's transparent form flickered out of existence, leaving both alone in the empty hall. Dry dust invaded the building, having made the entire exchange uncomfortable and robbing of even the last luxury of clean air. Luke licked his lips, a new persistent feeling of knowing set in his mind on edge; knowing yet unable to name it.

"Master," as they stepped out of the building, Luke decided to ask what he felt came closest to what he knew, yet didn't at all.

"What is it?" Master Kenobi no longer sounded as resigned as he did during his conversation with Master Windu.

"Why does Master Windu disapprove of Master… Skywalker's actions?" Speaking the name stirred something within Luke, which he promptly shoved away again, recognizing a repeat from up in space. It sounded so terribly right to speak those few syllables; frighteningly solid in his mind. "Isn't it best to take care of as many enemies as soon as possible?"

"Basically yes, but only when all factors have been considered. Anakin…he is known for his reckless maneuvers."

"So? Is that wrong?"

"….Not exactly. Master Windu just fears a misjudgment. It would have terrible consequences."

"I see." Luke swallowed, his lips dry with sand crunched between his teeth and suddenly he knew what his memories had wanted him to know. "I think, Master, I'm like that, too."

Obi-Wan Kenobi froze where he stood, turning his unpleasantly shocked face to give his Padawan an intense long look, which Luke avoided, fidgeting under his gaze and stepping from one foot to another.

Taking great effort, Obi-Wan schooled his expression into something more appropriate, while he was unable to keep a persistent voice of his head, screaming at him the wrongness of this entire situation.

"How do you know," he inquired carefully, aware of the deep irony, should it be true, all the while cursing in his mind with the most colorful words Anakin had made him know. Looking at Luke as he winched at the tone, Obi-Wan just felt it had to be true, but he was unable to determine if it was just Luke's resemblance to Anakin that made him think so, if it was his institution, or even a faint whisper of the Force.

"Not sure, Master."

Obi-Wan sighed again once, releasing all his emotions. "Well, we will see, Luke. But," he added, seeing and sensing his Padawan's apprehension, "whether you are reckless or not has no influence on your work as a Jedi. You shouldn't worry about it. Or about what you don't know about yourself in general. It will all be revealed eventually."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

The village was eerie as Luke left Master Kenobi to follow his instructions to oversee the gathering of troops currently guarding the bordering bunker.

Tall stone buildings were empty and abandoned, steps and clicks of weapons resounded along walls and alleys for far too long. A corpse or another lingered in corners, watching, following Luke with dead eyes. His heart wrenched at the sight, but Luke stepped dutifully past them all.

The assignment itself was hardly of any importance or responsibility; the clones knew what to do when they received the order from Cody and would do their work whether Luke watched or not, so his mind was decidedly off task.

He was watching, but by no means studying or trying to understand the pattern of how the troops worked so that he would know where to add his own abilities in this great puzzle of people. No, he was thinking, trying hard, almost desperately now, to remember. Despite what Master Kenobi said. It bothered him; not particularly that he didn't know who he was, he trusted the Force with that, but rather the urge that there was something he _needed, _wanted to know. It was like a too quiet whisper, distracting, teasing and annoying.

Already Luke could no longer pinpoint where the feeling came from as it lingered and didn't disappear as every other impression he had had so far. He had thought the matter would have been resolved after he informed his Master of a trait he definitely possessed.

Instead a feeling of wrongness had just settled deep in his mind.

All in all Luke had to admit that the approximately fifteen minutes since it started did not justify his strong, persistent reaction to uncover the reasoning behind the feeling, but he couldn't help it. He had tried to focus on the matter at hand, of searching for his place, of gaining some confidence; it had been without success.

While watching the clones leave their guarding posts on the bunker wall Luke really, really tried to understand why his feelings, even his senses, told him that something, no, maybe everything, was wrong; everything he was seeing, where he was standing, what he was doing, even sensing, or perhaps lack of the latter; he had no previous experience to compare it to, no means to know how much he was supposed to foresee or how far his perception was supposed to reach.

* * *

Standing at the gathering place, a free space that might have served the purpose of a market before, outside the building used for transmissions to the ships Obi-Wan watched patiently for all soldiers to arrive while he double checked his strategy again.

As he had said, it certainly was a problem that civilians had been taken hostage and used as shields, but this mission wasn't going to fail because of it. He just simply had to think around them and he was good at that; good at sidestepping problems and finding a way around instead of tackling them head on like a certain former Padawan he could name.

However, before he could work on the hostage situation they first needed to get within reach.

A last few soldiers along with his Padawan, who steered his steps immediately towards him, tickled in and Obi-Wan stopped his musings to walk a natural step down to the Clone Commander.

"The men set, Cody," he asked, mildly surprised that Cody did not turn around to face him. "What is it?"

"Waxer and Boil are not responding. They never returned from scouting." It was just a minimal difference in his tone showing the stress Obi-Wan felt from Cody. It was good to see human behavior every once in a while. It did not make the message any less grave, though.

"That isn't like them," while admitting this Obi-Wan automatically jumped to the worst possible resolution, which he disliked so very much, because it was the thinking of a soldier. So he backtracked as Cody finally turned around. "They may have run into trouble."

Cody caught the hint. "Sergeant, use the high powered transmitter to see if you can reach Waxer and Boil."

The addressed clone, standing in the shadow of a high building, stood attention and answered with a clear, "Yes, Sir," before he stepped away.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms on his chest, took a split second to decide and then gestured with a single arm ahead. "Let's get the rest of the men moving. The others will catch up."

"Understood." Cody turned on his heels and started screaming orders in the inbuilt com-link of his helmet as well as use his arms to leave no doubt where and in which order the different platoons are to go.

General Kenobi simply checked his lightsaber, his communicator and then added himself to the formation the soldiers took, while Luke automatically fell in step beside him; not knowing any better.

The dozen of troopers left for this assault formed an almost protective wide spread cage around the two Jedi; clones, maintaining a distance of 20 meters, carefully scouted ahead, three troopers on each side covered alleys between the empty houses, while eight were stationed closely around the Jedi. They proceeded slowly, with weapons at the ready and minding each step to avoid unnecessary noise.

Every single gust of wind brought along a new wave of dirt and smell.

Luke lifted a hand to rub his eyes clean of small grains of sand, trying to ignore the death lingering in the air; it was something he would rather not think about. He released his distaste to the Force with a calming breath, which ironically brought along dry, dirty, rotten air to his nostrils. It made him realize that releasing now hardly made a point; his emotions were just going to flare up again. That he couldn't voice a question bugging him about this formation did also not help to keep his focus on the present or suppress his growing frustration. This was no good, really.

Obi-Wan, along with the rest of the troops, waited for a signal from the clones walking ahead to confirm that the next corner was clear and that they were able to proceed with their march. Even before the signal came Obi-Wan knew that the street was probably going to be free, but with droids, non-living things, he could never be too sure.

It was the one of the greatest advantages of the Separatists that the Jedi were unable to really sense their enemies.

A quick flood of emotions form his right let Obi-Wan's eyes drift to his Padawan shortly before he returned his attention to the situation at hand. There was nothing to be one about it now. Luke was to gather first experiences with this siege so that they could talk about it later and attune him to what was acceptable and what not during war, not to mention that Luke wanted and Obi-Wan had to ask him about what he felt back on the ship.

So Obi-Wan let his eyes glide along the street and houses while he stretched his senses. It was hard to perceive anything but fear, pain and desperation on this planet, but it didn't stop him from trusting the Force to warn him. And it did. Just it really made no difference this time. The ground shook and Luke next to him stiffed both visually and emotionally as a mechanic hand drifted to his lightsaber.

High grunting filled the valley and the three clones at the front came running back, quickly followed by a pack of predatory creatures.

Screaming warnings the clones ran from the violent animals, blaster shots quickly filled the air and with a hiss Luke ignited his blue blade.

His muscles flexed in preparation, his eyes taking in the Gutkurs' build for a split second to confirm everything he had learned about them before he bent his knees, aiming for a creature's unguarded back. It wasn't going to survive a single stab of a lightsaber.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Cody's orders to his troopers didn't register to him and Luke was just about to jump when he noticed from the corner of his eyes that his Master still hadn't drawn his weapon; it made him hold his steps just a little too long.

Luke cursed with words he didn't know he had at being surprised by anything, making him miss his timing and allow the Gutkurr to live longer. Clenching his teeth instead he positioned his blade defensively in front of him, daring the hunters to attack him or the clones behind him.

The beasts tackled into the troops, fangs bared, sending the victim flying from the impact, blaster fire making no impact on the hard shell of the animal's back; only distracting to give time to run for grounded comrades, but the restless fire slowed the beasts down, making them take relatively slow steps between wide jumps.

A clone fell, pain and fear vibrating in the Froce, then void silence as Gutkurrs bit and ripped him apart, red blood spilling on the ground and the hunters' snouts while they teared limps apart.

Screeching and snarling a Gutkurr jumped at its prey, a clone, who stumbled and fell, his weapon caught between the animal's fangs and then ripped away from his hands by violent shaking of the creature's head, clattering to the ground uselessly many meters away. Again desperate fear and panic echoed in the Force.

But this time Luke was in time; he slid across the ground and buried his blade in the animal's temple as it snapped its head forward for a bloody strike. The corps fell to the ground lifelessly at the clone's feet, who already lunged for his weapon. Luke hated how they could just forget, but didn't bother thinking about it more when another Gutkurr decided to advance on him.

A muscle on its neck twitched and Luke lashed out with his blade, beheading the creature the very second its head snarled to attack. Brown blood spilled, few drops straining Luke's dusty and sweaty robes, while he already picked his next target.

Slaughtering mindless animals was disgusting and easy, but the matter was made that much harder in a race against time, protecting, saving lives that could not protect themselves.

As the young Padawan jumped down from a fresh corpse, leaving a smoldering hole on the Gutkurr's back, a thought, an impression, swayed through the Force, demanding attention. It wasn't directed at him, but he still noticed its effect immediately.

Slowly, calmly, almost peacefully, the violent, bloodthirsty animals turned away from their prey under the astonishment of the clones. They screeched at Master Kenobi, but followed him in an alley none the less.

It took Luke a few seconds to understand, but then he stirred out of the animals' path and, upon watching Commander Cody stop a trooper from shooting he remembered to deactivate his blade and step carefully closer to the alley Master Kenobi led the creatures in.

"Incredible," a trooper mumbled astonished, lowering his weapon, with awe radiating off him.

"Quiet Rookie," Cody hissed, never averting his eyes from General Kenobi's effort. The Gutkurrs were still attracted by General Kenobi, filling the alley closely.

"Shoot the bridge." The General's voice was strained from no time Cody pointed at the high structure above the alley's entrance, prompting blue laser bolts bring it to the ground only seconds later.

At the same time the Force pressure disappeared, allowing the animals to regain control of their mind and after a few loud thuds Master Kenobi came flying over the barricade, landing in an elegant crouch, while Cody already got the troops moving again. Luke hurried to his Master's side as Cody handed Master Kenobi his lightsaber with a nod.

"That was amazing, Master," Luke spluttered, falling into step, "how did you get the idea?"

Obi-Wan looked down at him, an amused crinkle in his eyes as he set to answer, but his eyes narrowed and he looked up sharply, activating his saber and bending his knees slightly. Luke was a millisecond behind and rounded in on the clattering plate on the street. He stepped out of his Master's shadow at the same time as Cody leveled his blaster at it.

Suddenly all tension left General Kenobi and he grasped the Commander's blaster. "Don't shoot," he announced, blue blade disappearing. The Padawan's identical light weapon discharged as well.

With visible effort the round plate was pushed of the ground by a white arm, the backside of white clone helmet following. Two troopers climbed out of the hole, no wounds or similar problems visible as the saluted.

"Waxer."

"Boil."

Cody took a step forward. "Where have you two slackers been?"

"Sir, there is an explanation."

"We got… sidetracked." Both turned their helmeted faces down to the side, eying a little Twi'lek girl hiding behind Boil's leg.

General Kenobi smiled, hands on his hip and quite a bit amused again. "I think I see what sidetracked you."

"Hello, little one," he greeted friendly, kneeling down to her high. The girl, though smiling, took cover behind Boil and blinded one of her eyes with a little hand in an attempt to hide.

"She brought us here through the tunnels," Waxter explained, facing Cody, "she knows her way around them pretty good, Sir."

Smiling a bit wider with his mind already plotting Obi-Wan made use of his wide, albeit rusty, language skills; asking, and pointing in the direction of the prisoners.

The child's reaction was clear, pulling on Boil's blaster.

"The girl can lead us through the tunnels to the prisoners." General Kenobi announced as he stood up. "Cody we are going to need a diversion. Luke, you follow Cody's command."

"Yes, Master," Luke answered, completely fine with not having the responsibility.

"Waxter, Boil, you come with me." Addressing the girl again, he picked her up and jumped down the hole, both Clones following him.

"You heard the General, boys," Cody shouted, drawing the attention from the hole to him, "we are gonna give it to those clankers!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Move it then!"

The Padawan closed his mouth, swallowing a question he wanted to ask again, as the troopers quickly jumped back to action and Cody moved away from him, taking the lead at sneaking close to the enemy. So Luke quietly followed. Watching, observing and thinking if he would do something differently or better than Cody, if there was something he could do with his abilities.

Commander Cody glanced around a corner; spotting tanks, droids and canons ahead, he winked his troops across the street to slowly get within reach and crouch in wait for the General to make his move. To give them a sign to attack.

Now, standing quietly behind a house, shielded from few and in position, the Padawan closed his eyes, a frown creasing between his eyes as he tried to filter General Kenobi's presence out of the sea of agitated, terrified live forms ahead. His work was to no avail, the Force was clouded, disturbed by so much death, fear and despair, like a fog it hid everything from view, effectively blocking every reading Luke could gain from it.

"There they are. Let's go!" The few troopers moved at Commander Cody's word and Luke's eyes flew open. Jumping over the house used as cover he unhooked his saber inhumanly fast from his hip, deflecting first laser bolts even before he touched down on the ground. He sprinted right at the enemy troops, choosing close combat.

The clones, staying at distance behind hardly more than mountains of dirt, shot at advancing droids and tanks; they cut their numbers, pulled all eyes towards them and strained their aim as not to hit the Padawan dancing from one walking weapon to another; leaving smoldering parts of different metals behind.

Luke, being aware of what he had to do but not how, pushed the hilt of his saber stronger, melting the barrel of a tank's canon down; it hit the stony ground with a numb thud, which Luke didn't care to notice as he twisted in midair to evade a shot he couldn't have blocked. In a millisecond he noticed from above that all attention had been pulled to him.  
The droids were no longer advancing on the clones, instead turning their back to them and opting with their programmed brains to take out the threat hacking about in their middle.

Luke wasn't bothered by it, even as a heavy blast blew the ground open where he had stood nanoseconds before or as the dry earth flew into the air and obscured his vision.

With great distance and calm he was not entirely sure he was comfortable with, Luke came to the most likely horrifying realization that right now he felt more like the person he forgot than ever before.

His mind didn't clearly, but his body did; the feeling of his saber slicing through hard but futile resistance was as familiar as the link of wires and cables beneath his touch; the instinct when he had to push harder, move faster was as imprinted into his system as the Force was into his blood; the breath, coming quickly, was as ordinary as his need to eat.

When this was over he was going to be scared by it. By the flow of battle he so easily fitted into.

A loud explosion swayed through the air, but Luke didn't stop moving, didn't try to confirm its origin; not as long as the machines he was decimating didn't at least do the same.

As he smashed a battle droid with a Force-grip into a cliff wall, cutting its circuit short with sparks lighting only to die on the ground, the next explosion sounded and his structured, present, open, very alert mind caught the order to retreat resounding from his comm-link.

Though he didn't see why Luke followed it none the less.

Calming his agitated breath, he ran towards the clones, who provided cover fire for him as they, too retreated back between the buildings. Another explosion vibrated through the air prompting Cody to shout something into his communicator.

Luke entered the shadow of the buildings last, making sure that not a single clone had to take fire for him.

Now, breathing more leveled Luke stretched his senses attempting to assess the situation, the surroundings trough the Force. He gasped in a low hiss and quickly pulled back as anger and hate and aggression floated into his mind, making his fingers twitch, ache to hold the no longer cool metal of his weapon's hilt between them.

Luke swallowed a curse.

With a deep, calm breath he pushed emotions that didn't even belong to him out to the Force, clearing his mind to listen to an answer coming out of Cody's transmitter, informing them that the ground forces were initiating landing procedures now.

That was good.

Luke glanced back to the droids they had left behind only to find them all crumbled on the ground, utterly lifeless without their control signal that obviously had gotten deactivated in the last minute and grinned.

Then, after exchanging a few procedure calls with the clones Luke excused himself, steering towards his Master's presence, feeling the adrenaline settle and his thoughts ramble, trying to analyze, make sense of what he had discovered about himself yet again.

He found Master Kenobi walking alongside Master Windu just outside the village where the big transporters had landed and were now unloading troops and weapons for the coming offensive.

* * *

I only noticed now that obviously not every chapter, depending on the episode, will have the same length or take same amount of effort. Really, it should have been obvious. xd

This first chapters are especially hard to write, i think, because i have to set everyone's characters, especially Luke (what he thinks, how he reacts and why).

Anyway, this was a long chapter and really hard to write. The next one is most likely going to be one that is mostly of my creation with close to no quotes, i think, since Luke really has nothing to do with Mace Windu and the final offensive. Not to mention that they theoretically have to capture an entire planet between 'Innocents of Ryloth' and 'Liberty on Ryloth'.

The next chapter is going to take quite a bit of time, but Anakin will appear.

Please review to tell me what you think. :)


	4. Path to Liberty I

The Clone Wars: Duty, Path to Liberty I

* * *

A strong wind was blowing dust through the air, carrying it into the smallest corners and folds of the tents currently being constructed behind a long, high cliff ripping through the land. Cliffs of many different sizes were reaching across Ryloth's planet surface like a fine web of never ending threads, crossing each other's paths and creating an inscrutable labyrinth of infinite ways.

It was this net of cliffs and canyons that the leading Generals of the assault decided to use in their attempt to liberate the population and push the Separatists out of the republican system. It provided cover form the harsh weather reigning over a waste majority of the lands as well as prevented detection of troop movement by scouting droids as much as possible.

Currently republican troops were still descending from space; new equipment, fresh troops still needed to arrive on ground and had to be organized before they were to be led into battle.

To help his young Padawan adjust to republican operations Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi had ordered Luke to supervise clone troopers disembarking and redirect them to assigned positions of the makeshift military camp.

It was dry work, but Luke appreciated the time alone to reflect on the first battle he had fought hardly an hour ago and understand his feelings on the matter. He didn't come up with much other than the ever present feeling of wrongness that hadn't left him completely ever since he first felt it, standing in a hanger full of clones.

He still had to talk with his Master about that.

Shifting on his feet, he pointed a group of solider carrying grenades to the eastern part of the camp, assigning them to one of the numerous half-finished tents covering half a mile of ground.

Uncomfortable form all the dark feelings soaked into the earth Luke shifted his weight again and pulled his mental shields closer, blocking emotions of even the clone closest to him, until his Force- heightened awareness was almost none existent.

He sighed a small breath of relief when emotions that weren't his retreated from his mind. Though they didn't really disturb him, Luke was still glad to have his mind to himself for a short while, because even though the whispered feelings were perfectly and clearly separated from his own they pressured him into restlessness; making him want to do something. Something to make them stop.

"Hey." Startled Luke whirled around, hand at the hilt of his lightsaber, but stopping his motion when his eyes fell on the person standing just behind him.

The Togruta girl wore a crooked grin as she held up her hands in surrender, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement and a degree of curiosity.

Embarrassed at being caught completely off guard, Luke relaxed his stance and lowered his shields to get a simple scan of her personality.

She grinned wider, showing her sharp teeth, when she felt his mental touch and Luke gave a shy smile in when she brushed against his mind in return.

"That's what I wanted to tell you," she said amused and Luke's brow settled in confusion at her statement while wondering from where he recognized her voice.

"Your shields," she elaborated, "if you keep them that high it's almost an invitation to sneak up on you. I'm Ahsoka Tano, by the way." She stuck out her hand for Luke to shake. "Master Skywalker's Padawan."

"I'm Luke," he replied, finally remembering her voice form the space battle breaking the blockade. "Master Kenobi's Padawan."

The face markings replacing her eyebrows shot up and Luke felt her curiosity spike. "Really? Master and I work a lot with him and I never heard him mention he wanted one again. Especially after the last experience," she mumbled under her breath.

Luke smiled awkwardly, "I understand it was a sudden decision."

"Yeah?" she wondered, but not really interested. "Anyway, we'll probably see a lot of each other then. Want to come search for the Masters with me? I bet they have something for us to do. There always is."

Luke politely shook his head. "Thank you, but I have to watch them unloading of all this stuff."

Ahsoka smirked, looking pointedly over his shoulder. "You mean from those ships over there?"

"Yeah," he nodded, turning half way around to continue his work and trying to keep an eye on his fellow Padawan at the same time.

Roaring motors and a resulting gust of wind blew sand over the ground as three transport ships lifted off the ground, returning to the mother ships waiting in space.

Luke stared after them.

"Aren't you lucky," Ahsoka announced with barely hidden amusement, "seems like your work is finished."

Blinking once, then shrugging to himself Luke followed the lively Togruta into the forest of tents, feeling somewhat strange at her easy open attitude.

"Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi are often paired up for missions," Ahsoka explained on the way, "and as your senior Padawan I feel it is my duty to warn you," she said seriously, mirth dancing in her eyes and lifting a finger wisely, waving it around in Luke's face.

"As a brand new Jedi, coming straight from the peaceful temple with the Jedi-how-to-be procedures perfectly memorized, you will without a doubt soon receive a culture shock."

Sensing she was serious, but at the same time deadly amused Luke simply looked at her questioningly, but Ahsoka didn't elaborate any further and jumped topic, enjoying his confusion.

"What Form do you use? I bet we will fight a lot together, so it'll be best to know each other's fighting styles. I use Shien and my Master is currently starting to teach me Djem So. You?"

Luke shrugged uncomfortably, not really knowing what she was talking about. "I haven't really decided yet."

Ahsoka gave him a strange look and then a wicked grin. "I don't know about Master Kenobi's training, but when hanging out with my Master it is close to impossible to keep up with him without Ataru or Diem So. At least I think so." She shrugged, "It suits me just fine, though."

A surprisingly confident grin stretched the younger Padawan's lips upwards and an exited sparkle lit his eyes with live. "It'll be a challenge then," he said happily, the tips of his fingers itching to try already, surprising even himself at his reaction.

The Togruta Padwan laughed out loud, starling passing clones. "I think we will get along greatly."

Suddenly tilting her head Ahsoka changed direction and took a left corner, following a trail of familiar bickering voices.

"What can I say; I needed someone to keep me company since you spent all your time with Ahsoka."

"You mean someone to save your skin."

"Oh no. Because you, my dear former Padawan, can no longer get me into danger, I don't need saving."

"I seem to remember it was you who got into trouble and me who pulled you out, Master."

"Only in your imagination."

Pushing a curtain of thick material out of the way the two Padawans entered the command center of the military offense.

Inside most space was taken by military equipment, sensors and communicators, which were still tended to by clones, set up in a semi cycle around a classic holoprojector, which was currently displaying the surrounding landscape and canyons as well as estimated troop movement of the Separatists and strategically important points for the coming operations.

Two of the three Generals in charge were present, but neither paid any attention to the information played out in front of them as they were engaged in a routine verbal fight, not even noticing the entrance of their respective students.

Sneaking a side look at Master Kenobi's new Padawan Ahsoka, knowing from experience how shocking Master Skywalker and Kenobi's relationship could be, took great pleasure as first shock rolled of him in waves and that he then quickly raised his shields sky-high in an obvious attempt not to show how startled he was by the scene in front of him.

Luke stared, eyes widened. Ahsoka didn't notice, but from the moment both Padawans had entered the tent Luke's eyes were nailed to Master Skywalker and he raised his shields in preparation for the storm of emotions he was sure were still to come from seeing Master Skywalker in flesh for the first time.

No storm came. He watched Master Skywalker and the flood he had expected never came. Instead he felt somewhat…numb? Or was it overwhelmed?

After she had finished gloating Ahsoka coughed once, twice, trying to discretely catch both Master's attention and alert them to their audience, but as it didn't work she had to be more vocal about the matter.

Both Master's heads snapped in their direction, betraying their obliviousness of the Padawans presence.

Master Kenobi coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment at his un-Jedi like behavior, then deciding it be best just to forget about it.

"Well, it is nice of you to join us," he said, waving them in, "It is save to assume you have both finished your assignments?"

Absently nodding, Ahsoka picked up underlying tension still resounding heavily in the Force. Frowning she glanced at her Master. Was there something more than just their usual teasing?

Weakly something nudged her instincts when she saw Anakin staring at the Padawan beside her. She tried to focus on the sensation, but it escaped her notice as soon as she even thought about drawing insight from it; like it hid from view, like she shouldn't have noticed in the first place. Like she wasn't supposed to know.

"Ah, yes," Master Kenobi continued, catching his former and present Padawans stare, perhaps glare at each other, "Anakin, this is my new Padawan. His name is Luke. Luke, this is my former apprentice and Ahsoka's Master, Anakin Skywalker."

Luke swallowed hard, bowing deeply and wishing he didn't feel so relieved to have broken eye contact with Anakin Skywalker."It is a pleasure, Master," he said, the words falling numbly from his lips with barely any conscious thought as he felt the Master's eyes on him.

"Indeed," Master Skywalker replied flatly, turning away and snatching up a datapad, displeasure seeping into the Force around him. "We are leaving, Snips. You still have to maintenance to do. The droids won't wait for you to finish." With angry strides Master Skywalker stalked past both Padawans, not sparing a single glance at either.

Giving Luke a single apologetic shrug Ahsoka hurried after her Master, wondering what upset him this time.

Luke stared, watching the tent's entrance flap close and trailing fine fingers of wind across his cheek as he brushed his gloved hand over his eyes, clearing them from a sudden wetness. His heart felt heavy, empty.

Obi-Wan sighed, ranking a hand through his hair in an exasperated gesture as he watched his former student hurry out of the tent, not having the faintest idea what ignited Anakin's short fuse.

"I do apologize for his behavior, Luke. It saddens me to admit, but it seems that in all my years of teaching him I have failed to instill a basic amount of tact in him."

The boy turned, facing him, a weak curve of his lips stretching his features. "It's fine... Master Skywalker...seems really...unusual."

"That is one way to phrase it," Obi-Wan agreed, a hand stroking his beard thoughtfully, "but never mind him; I seem to remember we had some things to discuss."

The smile slid of Luke's face and he shifted from foot to foot, looking decidedly uncomfortable, his eyes jumping to the clones and back, a small note of guilt nagging at him, biting his lip and a hand wandered to his mechanical limp. "Well… I…," he closed his eyes; taking a routine calming breath and letting go of his feelings, "It wasn't anything of importance, Master. I had just been overwhelmed."

There was a whisper of a lie and Luke probably knew it, yet he still said it. "If you would excuse me, Master."

He was gone before Obi-Wan even properly registered the request, caught by surprise at this determined side of the soft boy as Luke hurriedly strolled through the makeshift camp, not caring where his feet carried him; his mind was full of thoughts about how desperately he had avoided the subject and how it didn't just accrue from the clones that had been present. No, he didn't want to talk about it at all. Just thinking about it made him twitchy.

* * *

"You are doing it wrong."

She jumped, showing her frustration at the mix of different colored strings and thin to thick cables clearly getting the better of her.

"That one is a neutron-link to the sub-engines and the one over there is a beta plus cable. If you connect them like this in that joint it'll hamper the ship's speed and divert too much fuel to the portside thrusters."

Ahsoka glowered.

"That's dangerous. Why does Master Skywalker let you do this stuff if you got no idea about it?"

She outright glared but deflated back to being frustrated when he took the screwdriver from her. "He doesn't. And I am _supposed_ to know this kriffin' mechanics back and forth. He made me study them."

Luke raised an eyebrow questioningly; knowing that she would sense his question as he leaned over the cockpit of her fighter, unplugging the end of a beta minus cable and exchanging with the beta plus Ahsoka had reconnected wrongly.

"But I can't do it because learning or not the mechanics working a _fighter_ are freaking complicated beyond all Sithin' Hells,"she complained, climbing out of the cockpit to let make space for Luke. "Skyguy can't just expect me to up and go just do this stuff like him."

"Skyguy?"

"My Master. It is-"

"He lets you call him Skyguy?"

"Sometimes. Anyway, for some reason that is beyond me he always insists that I do the maintenance of my ships myself. Fighters, Bombers, he even ropes me into helping him with the Twilight. Even though he knows how much I can't stand all this."

"But you don't know if there'll always be people there to do this work for you," Luke pointed out. "In emergencies or accidents for example. You'd be helpless if you couldn't repair a ship yourself. Maybe that is why."

"Exactly," agreed a frosty voice from behind them and both startled.

Dreading to turn around, but knowing better than not to she slowly faced her Master after Luke's head had already whipped around, his heart pounding.

"Ah…uh… hi Master." Ahsoka squirmed, avoiding his gaze and just barely resisting the urge to kick at the sandy ground in guilt. "I just…uh... informed Luke of your teaching methods."

"Oh, I'm sure," Anakin glared, "and that is why he is doing your routine work, which, by the way, you should really know inside out by now."

Ahsoka remained silent, shoulders falling in defeat and Anakin transferred his attention to Obi-Wan's new Padawan, who was still sitting in the cockpit with his movements frozen stiff, staring right back at him with wide blue eyes.

"Are you even sure he knows what he is doing," he asked back at Ahsoka.

"Ah…," Ahsoka said, not daring to talk back as her Master's mood seemed to be pretty bad still.

"I'm reasonably sure, I know my work, Master Skywalker," Luke replied, insulted and hurt for some reason, making a temper he didn't know he had flare, "but please feel free to convince yourself. I'm sure a Jedi of your reputation would be able to find something to correct even in the best of works."

Ahsoka swallowed hard, wishing to be buried neck deep in battle droids rather than being here.

Anakin and Luke glared at each other, equally blue eyes blazing with equal fire, blowing irritation, frustration, disbelief, confusion and wounded pride into the Force with such power that Ahsoka was sure even Jedi back at Coruscant were feeling it, while she amended she'd rather fight Dooku than being trapped in a crossfire between her Master and someone who isn't Master Kenobi.

Still, she couldn't help but watch, holding her breath with fascination at how it all would play out.

Luke broke eye contact first, climbing out of Ahsoka's Fighter and staring down shamefully. "I apologize, Master," he said in a small voice, "I meant no disrespect." Luke didn't truly understand why he had snapped at Master Skywalker, but he was aware that the Jedi's dismissive distrust had _hurt_.

On the sidelines Ahsoka struggled to transform a snort into a cough, now that it seemed reasonably save not to be forgotten.

"No, it is fine," Anakin replied, suddenly wanting to avert his eyes and promptly turning on the spot and leaving and biting down an irrational urge to apologize. "Ahsoka can check what you have done. She needs the practice."

Wordlessly both Padawans stared after him as he disappeared between rows of tents. Once his form was gone it was like a spell being broken; shocked disbelieve at the situation, her Master's strange behavior, finally settled in to Ahsoka while something just short of panic prompted Luke to run after Anakin.

Watching him as she willed herself to surrender to more mechanic work Ahsoka wondered what it was that just happened or started or _something_ right before her eyes.

It was of importance; that much she knew even without the oh-so-faint poking of the Force.

* * *

"Master Skywalker, wait please!"

Anakin didn't slow his strides. On the contrary; he only just resisted speeding up, which, in itself, was a thought that shouldn't exist just because of Obi-Wan's new Padawan. It was absurd.

Still, Anakin Skywalker stalked down the paths between the many tents, ignoring the bright presence trying to catch up with him, forcing troopers out of his way and taking a sharp right just after he passed a squard of clones, using them to hopefully make Obi-Wan's new Padawan lose sight of him. All he had to do for that was to conceal his presence in the Force and…

Anakin abruptly came to a halt, turning around and waited for the boy to find him, crossing his arms for effect. His thoughts had been off, mind on different things that he hadn't noticed he was practically running from the child.

From Obi-Wan's new Padawan.

And in that term laid the problem that Anakin wished to ignore.

The boy came running around the corner true to Anakin's prediction and stopped, breathing slightly labored. Did he forget to use the Force?

"What is it?" He asked, his voice startling the boy, who had been staring at him again.

Visibly collecting his thoughts the boy schooled a polite, submissive and apologetic mask.

"Master Skywalker, I'm ...sorry to bother you again, but I had to... clearly apologize for my temper. I didn't mean to upset you." He bowed once to emphasize his point, but sadly the child's finely selected words served to end nothing; at least not at Anakin's end, because he wasn't sure he wanted or could have it to be resolved already.

It was about Obi-Wan.

Fighting not to step from foot to foot under Master Skywalker's gaze as the silence dragged on and tension between them grew Luke started tugging at his glove's rim in a nervous habit that apparently even memory loss hadn't been able to erase.

"What is with your hand?" Master Skywalker inquired suddenly, his voice deadly still and Luke stiffened, struggling not to let his anxiousness, fear even, reflect too much in the Force while he wondered on a side note what had happened to his admittedly excellent _previous_ control over his emotions.

"It's nothing, Master. Just a habit," Luke said, hoping the Master would allow the subject to drop.

But Master Skywalker was having none of it and simply grasped his wrist, pulling the glove off and exposing the still shiny silvery metal of his artificial hand.

The silence became deadly, getting heavier along with the Jedi's unmoving stare on his hand, but Luke didn't dare pulling his arm free as the Force, even the air, shined with some unknown strain.

"How did this happen?" This time Master Skywalker's voice had a quiet, almost gentle note to it, but Luke didn't notice it, too occupied with the fact that he _D__id. Not. Have. An. Answer_.

_No. Answer!_

"I-…I don't-," Luke swallowed, stammering, panicking. Looking anywhere but at Master Skywalker, who, he understood with sudden clarity, was not supposed to be just Master Skywalker to him. The realization left him off balance, completely lost and so terribly confused all attempts to think failed, leaving him to blurt out the only thing he could.

"Memory loss."

It was fatally quiet, not even dry winds, graining of sand, clanking of armor or shouts of clones seemed to penetrate the stillness falling over the almost empty path between two tents.

"Memory loss?"

"Yes, sir." It flushed out, however Luke didn't wonder where the inappropriate form of address came from, because suddenly he couldn't stop talking; couldn't bear to let silence fall again. "I don't remember anything. Just half my name. I woke up in the temple two or three days ago. Master Yoda assigned me to Master Kenobi, I think. The hand was gone by then. I know I like working with machines and flying and I have this habit to tug on my glove when I'm nervous and –"

"That's enough."

The child's lips shut with a resounding snap of his teeth.

Anakin let go of the child's hand.

But the boy never looked up at him, gaze fixated to his feet, his emotions overwhelmingly scrambled even through the shields the boy had tried and was still trying to erect desperately; it didn't work and with every passing second the child drowned more in his own hard felt desperation and panic.

It waved through the Force and Anakin just standing next to him felt himself getting pulled along; fear taking a hold in his mind again after he had finally managed to get rid of it again when Ahsoka broke the blockade and was _save_; fear for Padme, panic, because she was away on Coruscant and _always_ in danger; fear for-

He shut it down right there.

Not even a split second had passed and Anakin had enough.

Touching the child's mind he sent a crashing wave of calm that he didn't really feel into him, lancing it with a heavy Force Suggestion. It took effect almost immediately and Anakin felt reasonably reassured when he sensed the boy's shields rising up effectively, blocking, and more importantly in control of his emotions.

A few moments past with controlled breathing passing between them.

"Thank you very much, Master Skywalker," the child said finally, strangely composed and looking at him, his face blank except a small smile that Anakin somehow knew was fake. "I promise it won't happen again."

Anakin snorted. "Yeah, right. Then it wouldn't have happened now."

A controlled frown appeared on an otherwise blank face. "No, I don't think so, Master. I'm prepared now. It won't happen again." To Luke those words were like a promise to himself; he would be more careful, would work harder, would not bother Master Skywalker again.

Anakin didn't notice the still resolve.

Opening his mouth to ask just how the boy thought he could be prepared for something that clearly came as a surprise he thought better of it after some consideration, something telling him that he didn't want to know, didn't need to know, and was better off not knowing. For now. Insolent as he was even Anakin didn't ignore the faint nudges of the Force that came all too rarely without a good reason.

So he let it go for now.

But some other things wouldn't be passed over. "You have got no memory and the Temple decided to send you to the front lines?" Disbelieving and skeptical Anakin wondered once again just what was going on in the united heads of the esteemed council members.

The Padawan nodded, suddenly intent on avoiding looking at him, hiding his hands behind his back and Anakin would bet his next day on Coruscant that the boy was tugging on his glove again; a habit Anakin himself had struggled to end before it began when he had first needed a glove.

Still, the abrupt change in behavior, from fake to real, set warn bells of in his head. "There is more?"

A doe eyed look confirmed the suspicion and, seemingly shrinking back from him, the child shifted on his feet.

"Well?" Anakin prompted, tapping his foot for emphasis.

"Master Yoda... I mean the Masters thought I'd remember faster with Master Kenobi."

"Why?"

"I remember him. Or at least I think I knew him before?"

As it was a question and Anakin could answer, namely no, but he didn't want to so he didn't, letting the conversation die in silence that was probably awkward for the boy. As it was intended.

However the child was still looking at him, expecting some kind of reply, but as it got clear that he wouldn't receive any his face evened out and he started staring blankly at Anakin again.

Anakin suspected, as he quickly started feeling uncomfortable under the empty eyes, that the boy was not even aware of what he was doing, so he sifted his position once, changed the expression on his face and, as he expected, the boy dropped back to reality, flushing red and eyes quickly darting around once before finding their way back to his face. To Anakin's annoyance.

They made eye contact and Anakin was careful to note that this time the child didn't fade out even as they once again stared at each other.

This time however it was the boy who got uncomfortable first and dropped his eyes to the ground, head falling along, but even then Anakin didn't let up, letting him squirm under his gaze till he was satisfied.

Finally he asked then, dismissively, "don't you have something to do?"

Jumping a little the boy looked up, completely bewildered.

"Didn't Obi-Wan give you work? I know he doesn't appreciate slacking."

The boy's lips parted wordlessly and bright blue eyes widened a bit more before he whirled around, hurrying off, Padawan Braid swaying and Anakin was left alone in a narrow alley between makeshift tents.

* * *

Luke stood, binoculars pressed to his eyes, on the tall rhythmic moving side of an AT-TE Walker, surveying the path ahead as he was on lookout.

A small force of two Walkers, and just the absolute minimum of troopers and two Padawans was heading along a 90° cliff and not upwards like one would assume, but sidewards instead. It was an unconventional move at best, concerning both the size of the troops used and the reason for doing so, but unconventional or not it was still a strategic move.

He let his eyes glide over the rocky cliff confirming once again that it looked and felt stable enough for the multiple ton monsters to move along it and that nothing other than the dusty stone, grey sky and drifting smoke columns were in sight.

A far wave explosions resounded through the air and Luke risked a side glance at Ahsoka who was standing next to him, a hologram describing the immediate landscape and the troupe movement of the main force projected from her palm, her face set in a slight frown.

Luke looked back at the way ahead. His work was important; equipped for all terrain or not, even the AT-TEs were not able to hang or walk horizontally along a cliff indefinitely and Luke had no desire to fall down a canyon so deep he couldn't see the ground.

Luke noted interested that he was way more uncomfortable like this than in the much greater high of a ship.

"I don't like this," Ahsoka suddenly announced, making Luke glance at her once more; her frown had been replaced by a glare and her stance was alert; the Force from her silent, indicating that she had set up her shields for combat level.

"What exactly do you mean," he asked, seeing how her statement could apply to everything at the moment.

He felt her glare at him, but as it wasn't personal Luke ignored her in favour of kicking his feet against the cockpit to give a handsign to the trooper looking up to him; there was another hole in the cliff that had to be avoided.

"This plan," Ahsoka elaborated as Luke returned to focus ahead, her voice tight with frustration. "Of all the stupid things..."

Luke sighed, "I know where you are coming from, but didn't you tell me just a couple hours ago that plans don't survive first contact with the enemy?" This time she meant him as target of her eyes and Luke was glad to have a reason not to look at her.

"That was before this."

"What is different in this case?"

"What is different? I tell you what is different! Plans usually go from good to bad. Not from worst to impossible!"

"But I don't think this is such a bad plan," Luke argued, happy to be relived of the boredom that came with watching similar stone patterns for hours on end.

Ahsoka snorted, disagreeing. "Where have you been in Tactical Sessions? Or did the temple cut the lesson? This idea is ridiculous. I can't believe Master Anakin and Obi-Wan agreed to this. I was kidding!"

Luke grinned, decisively forgoing her first comment. "Maybe you should have said that."

"I did!"

"Maybe you should have done so before they started thinking seriously about it."

"I did!" She faltered. "Or at least I think I did. How was I supposed to know they'd draw something like _this_ out of a simple statement about how certain people spend more time horizontally than vertically?"

Luke didn't see her, but he could picture in his mind how she waved a hand around, referring to the fact that two AT-TEs were climbing horizontally along a cliff with two Padawans and half a dozen mobile troopers on top of them.

"I don't know, but I'll learn from this and be careful of what I say around them."

Ahsoka glared again at the back of his head. "Don't joke around. You were the one who reminded them of the barricade. If you hadn't done that we wouldn't be here."

"True, but that was your move up there,"Luke reminded her smirking. He had fallen into an easy camaraderie with Ahsoka almost immediately and their friendship gained a firm root when he had joined her again after his discussion with Master Skywalker and explained her mechanics much better than her textbooks. She had in turn told him of her experience with the Skywalker-Kenobi duo and of the first and second time she was responsible for the lives of her troops. A fact she regretted not fifteen minutes later when he brought it up during the strategic meeting. "And I really think this isn't a bad idea. I mean what else could we have done? It is not like they'll expect something like this."

"Yeah, but what if something goes wrong? And it will, I tell you. It's not like we have much room to maneuverer or modify, you know."

"I guess...But if it is the will of the Force then it'll all work out," he replied, glancing at the Togruta in time to catch her eye-markings shooting up in surprise before her expression changed to something more assessing.

"Do you really think so or is that a lectured answerer?" She was serious and Luke's blinked in surprised response at her unexpected mood change.

"I really think so. You don't?"

"It's just that it is hard to believe all this loss of live is the will of the Force. I mean that is wrong, isn't it?" She attempted to hide it, or maybe she really didn't feel like it, but Luke was reminded of a lost and scared child. He vaguely wondered how he knew what lost and scared children were like.

"I never said this all has to be the will of the Force."

"But everything moves according to it, right? How could it not be?"

Luke opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out and he settled for a helpless shrug.

* * *

"Fall back! Fall back!"

Change was immediate to the observant eye; troopers stopped pressing forward, instead strategically moving backwards and taking cover behind destroyed walkers and sizable droids they had just left behind in their advance. To them it didn't matter because they were following orders and felt none of the frustration others might feel at seemingly wasted effort and sacrifices.

Anakin was aware of this, but had long since stopped noting it in every battle and he didn't pay it any special attention this time either as he swiped away a blastershot that would have probably pierced his lounge.

The bolt zipped back at its source, but Anakin also paid no attention to how the red light pierced through the battle droid's head; his divided focus was long since elsewhere as he saw from the corner of his eye a shot identical to what he had just reflected go straight through a white armor, leaving the clone wearing it to slump to the ground, dead.

There was a split second of horror and fear and then nothing; just emptiness in the Force, akin to a black hole and then darkness as the Force reflected the life lost and the lingering emotions for another half a second, before that, too, dispersed. Anakin felt this death and many more in rapid succession, but he had learned long ago to stop feeling sick each and every time.

He couldn't, if he didn't want to die.

He left it for later in the darkness of his chamber when he had a fresh headcount still vividly in mind along with guilty, empty holes in an assembly; he could never look at his then for fear of the blood he'd see.

Now however he made himself focus more on correct movements of the troops for quick retreat while his arms wielding his bright blue plasma blade moved practically on their own.

"Move it trooper!" He yelled to a clone still stuck two walker bodies ahead.

And the clone moved as ordered. Cover fire protecting him as well as could, but it didn't mean much in the onslaught of so many shots.

He was hit and dead.

Anakin didn't blink.

His gaze drifting instead in Obi-Wan's direction to make sure that both wings were retreating at equal speed; it wouldn't do to let one half be outflanked.

Visually he couldn't see much; destroyed walkers, smoke and the occasional fire obscuring his vision.

Left with no choice as all communication was jammed Anakin lowered his tight mental shields carefully a tiny bit.

He couldn't prevent a slip of his features into a grimace.

There were so many emotions, so much fear and pain that it was always painful for him to use his Force senses to more than the absolute minimum, but he grit his teeth and did a very quick scan of the battlefield, just enough to know that Obi-Wan was alive and that the many, many small lights of lives on Obi-Wan's half were at virtually the same high as his troops. Then quickly raised his shields, reinforcing them with the bitter taste of bile gathering in his mouth.

In moments like this he was immensely grateful that he could identify the Grand Army of the Republic simply by their live force so that he wasn't forced to move his mind any closer and _feel_.

However a single flare of glee had stood out and Anakin remembered it hatefully, using it to push the guilt that was always with him aside for a few precious moments.

The _thing_ being gleeful right now was the one at fault; the reason why he was dodging blasts with a saber in hand on the ground in clouds of death and dirt instead of being surrounded by pleasantly warm metal with pedals at his feet, buttons decorating the cockpit, gear shift by his arms and a steering stick in hand; the reason why Ahsoka was moving forward sidelong one of the many unstable canyons riddling the earth instead of flying safely in his shadow as his wingman; the reason why the invasion was taking more time and leaving countless Twi'leks homeless, suffering in oppression, afraid, dead and starving, no the rim of existence.

Anakin hated the cowardly and defensive fool directing the droid army from Kala'din while hiding behind a non-expanding shield.

But hating was all right. Anakin was accustomed to this kind of hate.

It would fade; once he saw the defeat in the coward's eyes, once he had moved on.

However, right now Anakin hated the fool whose name he had forgotten, because in refusing to expand the shield any further than outer city walls made this battle so costly.

He breathed out.

It was costly, but is did it's job in drawing attention and troops away; troops that when fighting them could no longer protect the city or watch the canyons where Ahsoka was.

And looking at the advancing troops while the clones pulled back, Anakin thought, that machines were so much easier to destroy when they had no protection.

* * *

The projection in front of shifted again and he enjoyed with satisfaction how the republican army retreated; probably over the bodies of the fallen tools they called clones.

Oh yes, he knew perfectly well, that his droid army had sustained losses as well, but it hardly mattered. The droids were outnumbering the clones at least twenty to one and sure, his strategy was under normal conditions dangerously defensive and wasting, but not so in this particular scenario.

The Jedi wouldn't dare lay long time siege to his city in fear of what he could do to the population.

And reinforcements would never come, not with the Jedi and clones stretched so thinly across the galaxy.

Exposing no risk by keeping his shield in place he was playing for time, dragging this battle out; something the Jedi had no time for. And when they couldn't succeed they'd have to retreat sooner or later. They were always needed else were.

And by holding this city, forcing the Jedi to their knees and off his planet he'd make Count Dooku recognize his worth. Worth the fool Tabor did not posses.

Ryloth would be his.

He took a sip of his drink, savouring the taste, before elegantly putting the glass down.

Talking about qualified, he did not think that those rats were qualified to step closer to his city.

He waved a hand to one of his subordinates to have them start cleaning.

* * *

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Ahsoka mumbled, more to herself than anything, her sharp eyes looking ahead.

"Me too."

"Really? I thought you believed the Force would make us succeed if it wished so?"

Luke shot her a glare and Ahsoka's bad feeling told her she'd rather he wouldn't let his eyes stray from his lookout. "That's not how I meant it."

"I know, I know." Ahsoka admitted, a bitter after taste from her tasteless teasing in her mouth on top of everything else; building anxiousness, worry and weight of command. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

She was rather glad all the clones were riding the walker behind theirs; she didn't want to know what the troopers would think if they saw her and Luke bickering on a live and death, success or loss mission about Jedi philosophy.

Too calm herself she tried expelling all useless feelings with a breath, but it came out as a sigh and she hardly felt any better; on the contrary, her thoughts cleared and the bad feeling increased, gaining a voice nagging at her from the back of her mind.

Doing it just to ease her nerves she let her eyes drift above them; straining her neck to look all the way up the steep wall of reddish rough stone.

Nothing.

Just dusty grey sky and stone.

Glancing down there was equally much, but she was pleased to notice that by now she could see the ground; it meant they were getting closer as the canyon ended just before the city.

Behind them nothing either and Luke was watching up ahead, so it was the same there.

She wondered if paranoia was getting to her, but no, then Luke wouldn't feel the same.

He had still no experience, never mind knowledge of how plans could backfire.

Straining to hear something she regretted her Montrals were hardly grown yet.

"Wait...do you hear that?"

_Tick-tick-tick-_

"Hear what?"

There was something... a very familiar rhythm... her heart jumped and clenched; this was-

She wiped her head around, eyes speeding over the cliff, hushing from shadow to shadow and-

There!

"Hooks ready everyone!" She yelled, running to the other side of the Walker and staring at the opposite cliff.

Thankfully there was nothing there.

She thanked the Force the canyon was only about hundred feet or so wide.

Her own thin wire connected with the wall and she pulled to confirm its hold before looking at her troops.

Quick as ever the clones didn't doubt her order; most of them had connected their own hookwire already and were swinging to the other side, but some were still climbing out of the Walkers-

_Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick_

Ahsoka jumped.

A wave of heat hit her in the back and pushed her forward at neck breaking speed, throwing her painfully against the rough stones of the opposite canyon wall.

She grunted in pain, gritting her teeth as her arms and feet took hold of their own accord in an instinct to survive.

She only noticed she had closed her eyes when she needed to open them to see who's hand it was that she felt on her wrist, holding her tightly in place.

Her sight swam and she only saw a bright blur.

"Luke?" She asked, sensing, her voice, a bit strangled and she winched once more as together with her sight her other senses returned from their shock instated state.

"Are you all right," he asked, his large blue eyes worried as he hung off the wall next to her, holding her wrist just in case.

Grunting once, she steeled herself against the pain and breathed an affirmative before twisting her neck looking around; one, two, three... eight.

She had lost half her troop. Ahsoka swallowed the gathering guilt and grief for later; pushing them aside in a way only Jedi could.

The misson came first.

"This is not stopping us," she announced for all to hear, "this trip just got a little harder." It was not just a 'little' harder by any stretch of the definition; with the walkers gone and their manpower reduced by half it was going to take a miracle to pull this off. Or at least that was what it looked like at the moment.

Sure, they could climb the rest of the way along the cliff till the canyon hit the city borders and ceased to exist, but it would take hours. Time they didn't have as they relied on the diversion of their Masters on the plain a few miles away to create a time window for the walkers to move up to the city wall and fire just one or two shots at the shield generator to win this thing. They were going to miss that window and all effort will have been in vain. Even she and Luke alone couldn't make it in time if they tried.

Not to mention that with this explosion they had probably set off some kind of alarm and they'd know they were comming.

"Hey...what the hell is that?" The slightly muffled voice of a clone interrupted her thoughts and she turned to look at the speaker, only to follow his outstretched arm back at the opposite wall.

Stones were still crumbling off the wall from the wave of the explosion and there was a very visible dent in cliff where the walkers had stood before, but she saw immediately what the trooper meant.

Other than the dent detonated by the wave of bombs that, she saw now, had been planted from the very top to where the canyon wall ebbed away to even ground to way below them, there was a deep shadow on the wall. A cave. And if she strained her eyes and senses it seemed more like a part of a corridor.

She smirked.

"That, my dear friend, is our ticket to success."

After loosening her wirehook she shot it again, making sure it hit above the hole and swung across, accepting a new wave of pain from her fresh wounds as it washed over her from the pressure in her arms and let it disperse in her limps with the help of the Force.

Her feet made contact and she slid into a roll, landing elegantly in a crouch as she started recognizing her surroundings from a description. Smooth, handmade stonewalls.

The Force's guidance was never to be underestimated. The Separatists can't win, she thought confidently as she heard armor clack and flashlights lighten the corridor.

"This is...," Ahsoka looked at Luke, who was stepping next to her, helping her up, and she saw gleefully the mischievous grin tugging a corner of his lips up and the definitely dangerous spark in his eyes.

"Yeah," she agreed, shrugging of his hands and running a hand across a crack in a wall, only noticing then she was bleeding from a few scratches when her hand left a rusty trail on the wall. "This is like the tunnels Master Obi-Wan used to capture Nabat. I bet you anything this leads right into Kala'din." The best thing was the Seps wouldn't know about it, because her Master's Master had left no 'survivors' to report how they lost in Nabat.

"But we have to hurry. If we set off an alarm and send somebody they'll know where we disappeared to."

"Yeah, but wait a second," Luke said, pulling something out of his little pouch hanging on his hip just like his lightsaber. Then, eying her critically once up and down in the light given falling through the entrance and given off from the clones' helmets, he slapped one bacta-patch to her lower stomach area and one on her right shoulder. "We can't have you fall over from blood loss, now can we Commander?"

He teased, grinning a bit, but his eyes were worried, his expression tugging at the every edge of her mind.

Ahsoka exhaled, shuddering as she listened to the whisper of the Force and stopped thinking about why Luke gave her such a strange feeling.

* * *

"Say," Luke said, whispering in forced nonchalantly, "is it just me or do you sense live forms down here?"

Ahsoka shook her head in reply, adjusting the grip on her saber to her preferred reverse grip, trying to shed a bit more light into the deep darkness ahead of them. "Do you think they might be escapees from Kala'din?"

"No," Luke replied, frowning as he closed his eyes in concentration and breathed in the Force with every fiber of his being. "They feels too primitive."

Right, Ahsoka thought dryly, it would have been too easy other wise. "Heads up everybody," she directed at the following clones, "we aren't alone in here."

They advanced in silence and Ahsoka was pleased to notice that her Masters 'old fashioned navigating' was not as hard to use as she had first thought when he told her about it during the Malevolence Siege as she led the troop down a corridor to the right, her recollection and orientation telling her this way connected to a path they had passed by before with a carved in ceiling.

"Say," she asked this time with the same tone Luke had used, "is it just me or do you hear something?"

She glanced at her partner, watching his blond eyebrows knit together in a frown as he took a while to reply, his head tilting at different ankles to catch a sound. "I'd like to say it was just you, but you have the better hearing. If I don't hear something it doesn't mean it's not there." A pause. "And I have a bad feeling."

So it wasn't just her; it wasn't just her paranoia or adopted attitude of hoping for the best and planning for the worst.

Clack-clack-clack.

"I think our robotic friends have come to the conclusion we didn't all die in their explosion." Tension spiked, giving the darkness around them an oppressing feeling. "But they are still ways off. Not to mention they have to find us first."

A bit of reassurance lifted the heavy air, but it were empty words. Ahsoka judged by the amount of noise they could simply split up to find them and still overwhelm them. Not so good.

But it was still fine. Situations like this, she could manage; overwhelming odds were not rare. As long as what she did was not downright impossible she could manage. Her Master was counting on her.

Minutes passed and the clacking behind them got louder; the nervousness and anxiety filled the Force and she sensed the troopers throwing frequent looks over their shoulder. It was always worst before the battle when feelings had time to make themselves known. It was the same for her, but she had training in controlling her emotions to not let them influence her actions.

Still, she knew they had to hurry; time was hard to judge in total darkness and cut off from the outside, but she guessed they didn't have much time left before the opportunity given by their Masters passed.

She picked up her step, about to round another corner when a hand shot out in front of her, blocking her way.

She looked at Luke, questioning, but her fellow Padawan wasn't even looking at her.

Instead he pushed her aside, making Ahsoka feel a twinge of irritation at his dismissive behaviour, but it was gravely overshadowed by curiosity when he carefully poked his head around the corner, body stiff and not breathing.

He shrunk back as if being hit, leaning against the wall, eyes wide and white in the shine of his blue blade.

Ahsoka's bad feeling intensified tenfold.

"This is bad," he whispered, looking her in the eyes. "This is really bad. Lights off everyone." He switched his saber off, still keeping it in hand, but the clones followed his example after trading looks once and looking at Ahsoka for confirmation. As she didn't object instead carefully glancing around the corner herself they were soon left in darkness, kept at bay only by the green glow of Ahsoka's weapon.

She switched it off hastily, having identified slowly shuffling shadows of breathing and alive creatures in the small den just to her right.

Caught between a rock and a hard place. Only much worse.

"Gutkurrs." It was a curse and a sigh of resignation all at once. She hated it when her bad feelings came true. "And we need to get through there."

There was a small hole in the wall beyond where the Gutkurrs were sleeping; it was impossible to see and hard to sense but it was there, she knew, and she _knew_ it was the only way through to the city.

"What do we do," she asked, looking at Luke, knowing exactly where he stood despite the absolute darkness. She sensed him, a picture of him thinking in her mind, when she didn't get an immediate reply, so she waited while thinking a of a few ways to deal with this herself. They could slaughter them, probably, but not without loss and it was against the way of the Jedi anyway, so she cut that possibility from her mind. Stage a diversion? Possible, but again sacrifices would have to be made.

"They are sleeping," Luke whispered thoughtfully and she felt him rise a hand to his chin; it was easier to ignore the tugging at the back of her mind this time but at the same time harder as well as the picture of the Force remaining in her mind for much longer, underlining her feeling.

"I think I got an idea," Luke said slowly "How about we use them? Master used Force suggestion on them before and their minds should be easy to manipulate when they just wake up. We could sent them to where we came from and they'd meet the droids and fight them for us."

"They are quite a lot," Ahsoka replied just for the sake of reminding him; it was a good plan. If it worked. "At least twenty."

"Yes, but we don't have time for something else. Or do you have a better idea?"

A persistent sense of urgency had never quite left either of them since their walkers have been blown up.

She sighed. "No." She turned to face the clones, they too a living picture in her mind: What she saw of them was probably more detailed than what they saw of her with their night vision helmets, though. "Spade, leave one of your rifles here on the ground, but be quiet. And then follow me, everybody. Don't make a single noise."

Sliding around the corner, her slightly burned back rejoiced at the cool contact with the wall. She closed her eyes, since they were useless anyway, focusing only on the Force, letting it guide her step as she set her foot down just next to a Gutkurr; a wave on anxiety welled up inside her, but it quickly floated away, taken by the Force as she opened her mind even more.

Calmness swept into her, clearing her thoughts and her perception rose; she felt each and everyone of her soldiers with their thoughts and emotions and doubt and fear, she sensed Luke clearly beside her, knowing he was copying her example when his his Force-presence became clear, no longer hidden behind shields or marked by human thoughts and she noted the brightness of his presence, almost making her think if she opened her eyes it would be as bright inside the cave as the Force was around him.

She even noticed the unconscious presence of twenty-three animals around them, but she didn't pay them any mind, trusting every step she took.

Time hardly seemed to pass, but Ahsoka knew that plenty had when she closed her mind again at contact with the back wall of the cavern. Stepping aside and pressing herself against the wall she made space for the others as they emerged from the labyrinth of deadly sleeping creatures.

Then the silence was broken by a soft touch that she more felt than heard and she froze, seeing in her minds eye a white boot connect with hard skin.

The responding consciousness stirred.

But before Ahsoka could anything Luke, still completely open to the Force, was already latching on to the mind, infusing it with tiredness and the wish to sleep. It was still fine to sleep, he told it. Nothing touched it, he assured. And it was tiered, he suggested.

The suggestion took hold, just a tardy instinct opposing it, and Luke released a breath he had been holding, relaxing his tensed muscles.

His heart rate returned to normal in no time and only a trail of sweat at his temple remained as a reminder of what could have happened.

Thank the Force.

After the last trooper had joined them in pressing themselves to the wall Ahsoka and Luke eased down onto their knees, settling hands on their legs and backs straight.

Ahsoka waved her hand once in a signal to be alert to the clones before erasing all her shields, letting the Force wash over her just like before, now, however, she let it seep into her allowing it do more than just calm her.

It was a bit like the difference between swimming and diving.

Just much more passive.

And much more exhausting when one wasn't able to let go of all thoughts like she was; not able to forget the time ticking away in her head, reminding her of all that would happen should she fail, of all that was happening while she sat on cold stones, doing nothing.

She thanked the Force they were far away from the actual battlefield; without constant death and high-strung emotions to distract her.

Ahsoka had no idea how long it took her, but when she reached her subconscious stated of light meditation Luke still wasn't done.

She felt him trying, peeling every thought slowly off himself, but he was struggling, wavering every few seconds for a reason Ahsoka didn't understand and didn't think about as she was solely meditating with the purpose to manipulate the minds of two dozen beings. She was not searching for answers and everything unrelated to her goal slipped her mind easily.

But she did notice that he had to shrug of several thoughts more than once; that observation together with his immensely bright presence was stored away for later to think about. If she remember it once she broke her meditation.

She felt it when he was finally done, his sudden absolute calmness telling her.

With out any visual or mental signs they both let their mind wander to nudge all the sleeping beasts at the same time. They didn't split up; didn't let one take care of half the animals by themselves. Instead they layered their minds together, above each other's, and worked together.

The beasts stirred. Slowly, peacefully and gracefully they rose to their feet.

_Go_, Ahsoka and Luke thought.

And move they did; trotting to the exit, to the only tunnel leading out of the den.

_Smell it_, Ahsoka and Luke suggested, pushing, making them think there was no scent of Ahsoka's blood lingering in the air with some effort, forceign them to focus on the object on the ground.

And smell it they did; their snouts all touching the piece of metal lying.

_This way, _Ahsoka and Luke led.

And follow they did; picking up speed as they stalked down the path leading to the approaching droids.

_Hear them, smell them, enemy_, Ahsoka and Luke ordered.

And obey they did; sprinting down the tunnel, screeching and growling and ignoring the much more human smell still lingering.

Her face split into a grin, breaking her connection with the Force and she rose to her feet-

Only to stumble back down, supporting herself with her hands. She felt sweat drop from her face and shoulders and all of a sudden Ahsoka was freezing and shaking with exhaustion.

"Whoa there kid, are you all right?" An armored hand was on her shoulder and Ahsoka needed a second to identify the clone as Rook. "That was unbelievable, Commander. I couldn't believe my eyes."

"Yeah," she answered, still grinning in triumph as she sat down properly. "You can turn on the lights again. But I'll need a second before we can move again."

She closed her eyes, accessing the Force again to take away her fatigue.

It wouldn't hold long, she'd end up more tired than ever soon, but for now she had no other options and they needed to keep moving.

"Kid, you ok?"

This one was Spade, she knew immediately, as she opened her eyes, looking at him standing over Luke, who still hadn't moved from his meditative pose.

Ahsoka frowned.

He still hadn't stopped, on the contrary, he was falling deeper and deeper into the Force.

It was extremely rude to break someone out of meditation not to mention startling, but it had to be done; sighing she poked him in the shoulder.

The reaction came, unsurprisingly, as soon as she made contact with his skin; his eyes flew open, startled, he jumped to his feet-

Only to stagger and sway, his fall only prevented by Spade, who helped him stand.

Luke mumbled his thanks, holding his head and pushing his strain away just like Ahsoka had done.

"What took you so long," she asked rising to her feet steadily, smirking as Luke glared half-heartedly at her from between his fingers.

When he didn't reply and Ahsoka switched back to business. "How long did we take?"

The clones traded glances, shrugging to each other in some sign-language, before Rook answered a vague half an hour.

Nodding to herself Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber, using its light to search for the small hole she knew was their way.

"Oh, Sithspit-" she cursed, finding it. "This is too small. We won't all be able to fit through."

The others moved around, inspecting the problem and strained as she was she couldn't pick up any emotions yet.

There was silence for a few moments before Spade spoke it, his voice a tiny bit humorous. "I don't see much of a problem, Commander. You and the kid will fit and backpacks will, too."

Ahsoka set to object, but Spade wasn't done yet.

"We won't be able to move past here, that's true, but I have faith you two can manage. We," he pointed a thump over his shoulder at his brothers, "will look for a way out of here and join our siblings in demolishing clankers outside."

Closing her mouth, she swallowed. This was not a subordinate speaking to a superior, but an adult telling a child that it had to go to school even if it didn't want.

They were of the 501st and it showed; they were their own.

Ahsoka loved how 501st treated her with respect when she deserved it and told her off when necessary, how they treated her like a child from time to time and made her forget the heavy expectations on her shoulders.

She swallowed again, nodding, and took a backpack with supplies from him, not trusting herself to speak past the lump in her throat.

Luke did it for her. "If you haven't reported in to Master Skywalker by the time we are back we'll come looking for you."

His voice was hard and filled with promise.

Had Ahsoka looked back at him instead of facing the wall and pushing Spade's, now hers, supply pack into the hole, she would have seen the glint in his eyes, the posture with which he spoke and the way the clones responded by straightening their stance.

But she didn't, so she missed how Luke, in that few seconds, looked and felt _just like_ Anakin Skywalker.

She got down on all fours and pushing her head in the hole she risked a look back at her troop; she didn't see much, just feet and legs until Luke entered her vision, on all fours behind her, his face clouded with regret.

Ahsoka had a bad feeling, but the mission always came first.

* * *

First of all I think I need to apologize for making you wait this long. Not updating in half a year had not been my intention and I shouldn't have done so without a proper warning.

That said I fear updates (other than the next chapter)will not come any faster and I might have to make you wait long again. I apologize, but there is not much I can do about it. Any faster and the quality would drop and I'd forget to mention some important points.

There are multiple reasons why I can't speed this up: For one I'm going to university now and while i don't particularly like it I have to do some stuff for that. Added to that is that I have other stories that take prevalence with their regular updates. So until I have finished A02xF The Clone Wars: Duty cannot become regular.

Also, I don't think I have made that clear yet, The Clone Wars: Duty will not be a simple rewrite of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes. Yes, I will use them, and yes, I will write out some, but that is not the point. In this story I'll focus on character development, interaction between characters, bridges between episodes, thoughts and feelings. And most important: I will make this logical.

Still, I hope you will have patience with me and continue to follow the story of the clone wars with Luke thrown into the mix and review to let me know what you think and help me with constructive criticism. :)

Credit for background information and special terms goes to Wookipedia.

Merry Christmas. :)


	5. Path to Liberty II

The Clone Wars: Duty, Path to Liberty II

* * *

Luke crawled forward, feeling dirt and little stones under his left hand as he moved, pushing his supplypack in front of him with his right, more comfortable with his artificial hand in a position of little importance .

Crawling like this through a narrow tunnel was easy, simple work, leaving his mind unfortunately unoccupied; free to wander where Luke didn't want it if he didn't force into focus.

Right now, with no energy to spare to do to just that, his thoughts drifted back to the clones they were leaving behind in a labyrinth of dark ways, dangerous animals and droids.

Back to the clones they were leaving behind to to die. Because Luke _knew_ he'd never see them again. He knew they were walking into an ugly death.

Luke wondered if Ahsoka knew it, too.

But he didn't dare mention it.

Swallowing guilt, he let himself see it again; as it was his duty when he couldn't save them. _Sharp fangs, sparks of light, pain in the abdomen, life slowly sucked away._ The death of Spade.

The scene hovered in front of his eyes, judging him, faulting him, accusing him, but Luke accepted it. Together with the knowledge that they would all die. Together with the responsibility that he did not do a thing to prevent it. Never mind that he couldn't, that he had other _priorities _and that he was still hoping otherwise.

It was Luke's duty to accept, to understand and remember the lives he let vanish.

As green light started glowing faintly in front of him Luke thought morbidly it was ironic he felt this worried and guilty about the death of people of whom he wouldn't have been surprised had they shot him in the back just a planetary rotation ago.

The backpack was lifted from in front of him and Luke crawled out of the tunnel.

After he had ignited his lightsaber as well and the darkness was pushed back, allowing Ahsoka and Luke to inspect where they had ended up, he came to the conclusion that this was an older part of the tunnel system spreading from beneath Kala'din; the walls were less smooth, corroding in more places and dripping with underground water.

That was good.

The older, the closer they were to the city.

Or at least that was what Luke hoped.

"Luke," Ahsoka called, her voice still lowered in a whisper, "this way!" She waved him over, standing near in front of a half collapsed tunnel.

"This way feels right to me, what do you think?" She was already moving, holding her lightsaber like a torch as she climbed quickly over the fallen rocks. She disappeared from his sight soon after, even the green light of her saber fading in the dark.

"I agree," Luke said to empty air anyway, "this feels right." And it did; nothing much. Subtle as it always was with the Force. The other ways just seemed a tiny bit colder. A tiny bit darker. It was a difference Luke could only sense when he closed his eyes. Eyes were traitorous, easily manipulated.

Casting a final dubious glance around the chamber Luke wondered why out of the three other, not carved in pathways, it was the destroyed one he had to go. He wondered even more why it didn't surprise him at all.

Shaking his head, he let go of the lingering feeling of nostalgia, and his lips curved upwards of their own accord as he copied Ahsoka's jumps and left, not seeing the white webbing glittering in the shadows of another corridor.

* * *

"What the hell is this?"

"Don't ask me," Luke said flatly, "I feel like having jumped planets." He having trouble processing what he saw; in Luke's mind Desert Planet and Underground _River_ did not go together. At all.

Feeling stupid and very much out of his depth, he rubbed his eyes once and then, just for confirmation kneed down to touch the ground with his organic hand.

It was soft; a multitude of small stems.

His eyes were not wrong.

Moreover, Luke _felt _the live around him. Pure, uncorrupted Force that was not stagnant.

They were standing on grass covered ground in an underground tunnel system on a desert planet.

Well, all right. Grass it was on the ground. Moss on the walls and plants in the cracks of the stones. Fine.

With that he pushed his awe and a big part of denial aside for later when he had time and when he didn't feel as disconnected from the outside world.

Ahsoka had come to a similar conclusion and was now stepping into stomach deep water, feeling the river bed with her feet and meeting hard stone. No sand.

That information was rather unimportant, though, as it gave no hint as to where the two students were supposed to go.

It didn't feel _quite_ right to take the only corridor connecting to this chamber other than the one they had come from, but at the same time there was no other possible way except the shallow river she was standing in.

Stepping out again, Ahsoka decided to inspect the other tunnel anyway even as Luke joined her in the water, searching around and knocking against the wall for something to cut through.

Luke hit the wall, finding somewhat to his surprise that in a situation like this he was almost grateful for his steel hand, and he repeatedly struck with his knuckles harder than he needed in hope of getting a hollow echo in response.

The water was cold and Luke suppressed a shiver.

Turning around to inform Ahsoka of his next idea, he saw her tugging on some sort of green illuminated string that was webbed out of the tunnel on ground ceiling and the sides. It rather looked like -

"No!" He yelled. Time was slowing down and the world _changed_, a claw of fear closing of his air.

Ahsoka turned her head sluggishly slowly, her eyes blinking, a question on her face and lightsaber lit in front of her, spending light, letting the web on the wall glitter. Reflected back from eight red points in the darkness behind her, Luke already knew he wouldn't reach her in time. There was no more time to even gather breath for a warning. He saw two bony limps poke out from the shadows, sleek build betraying their speed.

In a second the two claws were going to shoot forward, digging in Ahsoka's stomach and shoulder respectively. Half a second after that, fangs would rip into her neck. Five seconds later she was going to be dead.

She had no time to react. The Force was screaming, but by the time she was going to realise the danger Ahsoka was going to be mortally wounded.

Desperation and fear pushed away the Force, making it slip through Luke's grasp and elude his touch and made him struggle for it all the more and made the Force retreat further. Feeling it leave hurt like nothing Luke had ever experienced; his blood no longer felt burning but ice cold and he was no longer Luke.

Even as another power grew in its place. But before Luke could even realise its existence he had hurled his lightsaber at Ahsoka in a straight line.

That she saw.

To that she reacted. Ducking at high speed and rolling out of the way of his weapon, switching the grip on her own, and glaring at him in anger with a hint of betrayal Ahsoka was alive.

Luke's lightsaber pierced through the spider's head at the same time and relief washed over him so powerful he stumbled and fell over into the water.

Face first in the water a hysterical laugh escaped him and he choked. Still, as his head broke through the surface, he coughed the liquid back up, grinning widely as he wiped his mouth.

She was alive! Alive!

He positively sagged when he sensed the Force racing in him again and he promptly used it to call the hilt his saber to him, the blade having died shortly after he lost contact with it.

"What the hell are you doing," Ahsoka snarled, eyes blazing and sharp teeth gleaming greenly from the weapon in front of her.

Luke just continued to grin, elation not having worn off.

But then his eyes fell on the corpse, whose death he could still taste and it occurred to him that had he not called out, Ahsoka would not have averted her eyes and she would have seen her almost killer herself.

Luke sobered.

"What?" Ahsoka asked, feeling irritated. Her partner was flipping through moods so fast it put the droids' trigger happiness to shame. Though what bothered her most was that she could not get a read on him. Oh, sure, his emotions were easy enough to read from his face even with the moderate shields he had put up. But that was not the point. The point was that for some reason Ahsoka could get a feel for his character; a lack of which was disadvantageous at best and lethal at worst. No matter who said person was.

The shadows on his face grew suddenly more pronounced and the Force pensive as he nodded in the direction of the corridor next to her before walking back into the water. "I say we don't go that way. And we should hurry before that thing's friends start missing it."

That got her to move from her defensive and disturbed state and Ahsoka turned, her brain still slow, till she was looking at the cadaver of a man-sized spider.

"Energy Spider." She remembered them, having memorized all noteworthy organisms just a few hours ago at her Master's orders.

She felt her monrtals flush red.

She had almost been killed by an animal. Her Master would never let her hear the end of it, especially once he found out she only noticed it plenty of time after it had died. He'd torture her with lessons and his usually rare lectures. And Ahsoka would deserve it for not being aware of her surroundings and not hearing the Force and being hasty.

"Thanks Luke."

He replied nothing and not knowing what to say she dropped the subject. Rightfully so, because there were plenty of more important things to do.

Searching for a path to take, Ahsoka turned her eyes upwards and her stomach lurched uncomfortably at the sight of a white-webbed fifty-feet ceiling. Most troublesome her gaze got caught at the point where the ceiling was supposed to hit the wall.

It didn't.

Instead the there was a rip, probably few feet wide, and full of spider webs.

She swallowed, getting a bad feeling yet again.

"We really have to hurry." She said aloud, more to herself than to him. "I think we are in the middle of their territory."

The tunnels turned more and more into a death trap; making the reason she was there in the first place slip to the back of her mind and become unimportant in face of continues running from danger and struggle to survive.

Time limit, siege, she reminded herself.

"I have an idea, maybe," Luke mumbled voice amplified by echo as a hand glided thoughtfully over the wall where the river disappeared and at a spot where spiders could make easy prey of him by simply dropping from the ceiling. "I think this water is flowing into a lake soon. It is too slowly otherwise. So if-"

"-we swim along we will get there, too. And...," she thought, catching up on his train of thought, lighting up, "the cities on this planet are all built near or above such a lake. Right!"

Luke grinned a bit at her enthusiasm and Ahsoka was glad to notice the lines on his face lost some of their depth. It made her more happy than it should, and that was a thought she stored away for later.

"But the problem is that I don't think we can squeeze through here." He pointed at the gap where the water flowed through. "And even if we can, we don't know how far the lake is and if we can make it till there."

Ahsoka shook her head, on a roll now. This was the right way, she was sure of it. Whirling her lightsaber she pierced it into the wall at a steep angle, cutting out a three-dimensional triangle and moved it out of the way with the Force with little trouble.

She smirked in triumph when she saw the river bed fell at the very end of the space she had cut free, making it wide enough for them fit through. To her disappointment, though there was no hint to suggest the remaining distance.

"This is it." She shot Luke a quick grin, before turning off her lightsaber and moving into position, ready to dive.

Taking a deep breath and filling herself with the Force she spared one quick thought of regret that they had no underwater breathing gear in their equipment; too unlikely had been the possibility of its need on a desert planet.

She'd learn from this and carry one around even on Tatooine.

Then she pushed forward.

The water was cold against her skin and the lack of light made it impossible to see where the current took her, but she trusted the Force to lead her and she made slow, deliberate strokes to save as much energy as possible.

She hadn't needed to. As it turned out when she broke through a surface hardly five minutes later.

It was completely dark, but she had a vague sense of her surroundings with the help of the Force and her hardly grown monrtals. The ceiling was very high up and the lake deep, it was also very wide as she couldn't sense any walls around her.

Vaguely wondering where Luke was she unhooked her lightsaber and tried to ignite it as soon as she had lifted it above the water surface. There was only a spark and after a moment she cursed violently with words she unfit for someone her age. How moronic.

A lightsaber's worst enemy: water. "I'm going to rebuild this stupid thing. Waterproof."

Now she was stuck without her weapon, her partner was still missing (worry about him she didn't acknowledge. Yet) and the pack on her back was pulling her down, making it hard to stay over water in a vaguely very large hollow filled with exactly that and no way out.

She swam around, not exactly blind, but for all intents and purposes just that.

Then there was a splash and grasping for air resounded through the cave.

She breathed out in relief and tension she hadn't noticed build left her shoulders.

"I'm over here," she called out, her voice uncomfortably loud with its echo.

Instead of a reply Luke started cursing. His choice of words and insults at water and stupid underground labyrinths included terms to make most Jedi cover their ears in shame. Ahsoka took note for later reuse.

As she still didn't know Luke Ahsoka added to her mental list of his traits that while he seemed even tempered most of the time he could explode like everyone else.

"I hate water." He finished defiantly and Ahsoka could just _see _how he glared at the water like it had insulted him personally. (She didn't wonder how she could know his expression with familiarity in her mind when they only knew each other for a few hours.)

Ahsoka bit down a smirk, though he had felt her amusement, no doubt, when his glare switched to her and she sensed him trying to burn a pinpoint hole in her head through the darkness.

But it was no time for camaraderie and she changed back to the matter at hand with practiced speed. "Does your lightsabre work? We can't move forward like this."

"It doesn't", Luke replied, sulking.

"Then what do we do now?"

"Dunno, but whatever it is, we better do it fast. Unless, of course, you would like to end up as a midday snack." He suggested bitingly and with sarcasm. "Because I think the things living on the ceiling are not moving in for a rescue mission."

Oh, Sithspit, now that he mentioned it, she did feel things up there and if she focused she could even hear them.

"How about we- ouch!" Rubbing her nose she glared at the offending structure she had swam against. It was in the middle of the lake seemingly hanging vertically from the ceiling. She ignored Luke's bad tempered and broadcasted thought of serves-you-right.

"What is this thing?" She demanded, touching slippery surface. A knock confirmed it was a hollow structure of stone and trailing a hand across it as she swam around showed a circular build, thicker than the length of her body. Stretching her arm she found no end to it upwards, but a kick did not do the same for downwards.

It really was hanging from the ceiling.

That thought reminded her of the spiders that were also hanging from the ceiling at increasingly long threads.

"I'm going to dive under this and check it out. Wait for me." She didn't wait for acknowledgement, leaving Luke alone in the cold waters with spiders almost literally falling from above and in absolute darkness.

Luke wanted to sigh, but couldn't as that would cost him effort he couldn't spare in his struggle to stay over water. Was it so much a surprise he had no love for swimming? Right now it didn't even bother him that he didn't even know why he hated it in the first place.

This one experience was more than enough for water to gain his eternal disdain anyway.

The analyzing part of him that never rested observed rationally that he had little patience with water to begin with and that just the thought of swimming made his mood drop like a stone in the atmosphere.

Being surrounded by so much liquid just felt wrong to Luke. Like he really, really shouldn't do this and that he didn't want this and it strained his nerves for some reason almost to the breaking point.

He held onto the stone structure, drawing comfort from it as something solid. Trying to calm himself, he focused on the Force as he drew it into himself with some effort.

What the hell was water doing to him?

But this question faded quickly into unimportance as a frown worked itself onto his face.

The Force was different here. It wasn't as untouched and natural as it had been back in the Gutkurrs' den, nor was it as alive as it had been in the room where Ahsoka had been attacked. No, here it was much more…oppressive.

It felt like dread, fear, pain and terror. Suffering.

Thinking it unlikely Luke still checked his own emotions, coming up empty if a bit unsettled.

He had felt the Force like this before. Once. Not too long ago.

With a loud splash Ahsoka announced her return, positively giddy lifting he darkness in this place a bit. "This thing is a well! It's our way out!"

Again, she disappeared under water and Luke also took a deep breath, battling down his anxiousness at diving again. He submerged just as the Energy Spiders were coming within dangerous distance.

* * *

Luke's head broke through the water and he thought he had never been as happy to see daylight. Though the light wasn't much; only a small circle the size of his thump at the moment and very far above him.

Still, it was an exit and he wasted no time pulling a hookwire from his backpack and shooting it high up. It didn't reach the outside, but it hadn't been supposed to either as Luke had no idea what lay there and he wasn't anticipating a run-in with droids of any kind with his lightsaber's circuits fried.

Pulling himself up, he quickly left the water behind, dripping wet, but free of it and suddenly, with his head clear, Luke realized that they had almost achieved their goal; just leave the bombs under the generator.

Reusing the hookwire multiple times and getting closer to the exit Luke noticed he had yet to hear a single thing from the outside. He didn't know if it was a good thing.

Coupled with the profound lack of any living presence above them Luke felt his anxiety and worry reemerge forcefully long before reaching the rim.

By the time he was only two body lengths away from his goal he knew something was definitely off; unlike Nabat the citizens of Kala'din were not supposed to be used for hostage purposes yet, but he still didn't sense any life at all. And while his perception was a long way off from being at its best being as tired as he was he should be able to feel anyone by now in a spot he expected to be at the city's center.

To make matters worse, fear and hunger were so think he could practically taste it. Luke bit his lip in worry instead of playing with his glove.

Graping the rim with both his hands and carefully pulling himself at eyelevel, he glanced around.

To his relieve the absence of live forms was easily explained by the wide area the well was built in the middle of; probably a marketplace. The surrounding buildings were all at least hundred feet away; too far off for him to sense anything at the moment.

From where he hung Luke also got a clear view of the building the shieldgenerator was perched on top off; it didn't have the size or decorations he'd expect from a governing building, but it was still the most imposing structure in a city of two story houses. Seemingly four floors in total and walls that were decorated with elaborate coloured patterns it wasn't easily mistaken.

It also was quite beautiful.

What surprised him to no end however was that the surreal greenery from underground had followed them outside in the form of sporadically growing clusters of grass and areas that resembled gardens.

This picture completely wiped away the image of the dry and hard city he had expected.

Unsurprisingly however there were plenty of droids; patrolling to scare the population always anew, and standing guard to make sure no one thought of rebelling against the oppression.

A quick count revealed seven super battle droids and twelve normal types patrolling and another two dozen of the latter standing guard near the buildings and main alleys.

Ahsoka and Luke could not take on those numbers alone, especially not without lightsaber.

But it also wouldn't be easy to avoid getting seen as they were basically surrounded.

On the other hand Luke still heard the battle raging on the outskirts of Kala'din.

"We could make a diversion with droid poppers and run between the buildings. If we are lucky we won't be seen," Luke whispered over his shoulder at Ahsoka, keeping an eye on the patrol as they entered a house.

"Agreed. Let's just hope we won't need them later. One in each direction." Stupid as the clankers were they'd look at what fell first not where it came from. That would hopefully provide them with enough time. And if not, then they were still able to dodge a few shots coming their way.

Or so Ahsoka hoped.

"We'll go that way," she nodded at the alley nearest to them; it was rather narrow, but that was just as good. "On the count of three." Reaching with one hand inside her backpack she felt around for the right type of ball. "One…two…three!"

She threw it in a flat ark, only waiting for it to land on the ground and draw the attention of the droids before pulling herself up and sprinting into the alley within just a few seconds, not looking back once and not looking for Luke until she had safely rounded a corner to the backside of a house and dispatching the present battledroid with a hard twist of their thin necks.

Luke was already beside her when she rose and they were both breathing hard from only a short run. Ahsoka understood the warning her body gave; tiredness was catching up with her and there was only so much she could make the Force take from her.

Forcefully calming her breath and drawing weakly with her tired mind on the Force she knew they both wouldn't last much longer.

Ahsoka swallowed, licking her already dried lips, she notice for the first time how uncomfortable her damp clothes were; she was really glad she only wore so few. And her scratches burned, too.

Next to them something granted against stone and they whirled around. Ahsoka's heart rate sped up, her eyes narrowing as she fell into a defensive stance with knees bent and fists raised.

A twi'lek woman was staring at them, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape from the door of her house.

She looked sick; skin hollow, lacking color and her clothes were in tatters with dirt all over her.

Ahsoka blinked, surprised, and quickly dropped her precaution. She and LUke bowed while the woman's eyes flickered to their hips.

Bringing a finger to her lip behind a kind smile Ahsoka pointed in the direction of the shieldgenerator.

The woman nodded, a spark of hope returning to her scared eyes and she said something in a low voice cautiously.

Luke didn't understand a word of what she was saying, but Ahsoka replied, bowing again deeply and he followed her lead, before Ahsoka winked him along as she gilded into yet another alley, putting more distance between themselves and the marketplace.

"What did she say," Luke asked curiously, noting the purpose in Ahsoka's step.

"There is a rarely used side entrance to the palace and she gave me directions."

"They call that thing a palace," Luke wondered tonelessly, rising to his feet again after he and Ahsoka had dispatched a duo of patrolling droids. Yet another moment where he was thankful for his steel limp.

* * *

"Two?"

"_Yes, Sir," _the commando droid of the southern parameter agreed.

"I see. Anything else?"

"Yes, Sir. The…ah…droid poppers didn't work." The hologram held a small ball in its clawed hand as far away from his body as possible, looking as if he'd expect it to blow up any second. "We detected a malfunction caused by liquid. Water. And we have found the remains of three droids so far."

"Interesting." He commented. Where did the water come from? Well, he could just ask. "Give the retreat signal to our forces outside of the city. The battle was just a distraction. I want five additional squads up and in the palace now. Make sure to tell them that I want the little Jedi alive."

Cutting the connection, he leaned back on his fated seat, one hand on the wide arm rest and holding a datapad with his other. He smiled behind his face-cover.

Ahsoka Tano.

Wonderful, he thought reading the information on the Togruta Jedi Padawan.

There was a nice sum on her head.

He would be paid plentifully.

Maybe the other apprentice would get him a bit of money as well, though he wasn't sure. He couldn't even guess who had accompanied the only student of all the three Jedi leading the Ryloth Offensive.

It could be anyone.

* * *

They were standing in front of the side entrance a few minutes later and Luke was sure that without the woman's advice they wouldn't have seen it or even known it was an entrance.

Virtually it was simply a square block of stone, twice the size of either of them and half as wide, standing at the wall in plain view; it could have been a part of the palace's structure and not the kind of door twi'leks use to seal all openings to their houses during a sandstorm.

It was unlikely even the Separatists, having inside view, knew about it.

The Force really worked in breathtaking ways.

With some exhausting force-lifting a man-sized hole was revealed.

Wasting no time Ahsoka and Luke slipped inside, rejoicing at the visual lack of guards. They crossed some patrols, but none were hard to avoid and the Padawans hurried to find their way up to the rooftop.

It was unfortunate their Force-sense was so overworked that neither heard the warning.

"This is it."

"Yeah, so let's hurry. I bet my Master is already ready to assign me a week of meditation for taking so long."

"He wouldn't be that mean, would he?" Luke frowned as he set up his part of the explosives on the circular supporter of the lance like column shooting the plasma shield into the sky. "I mean we had to take some detours. That's not your fault."

Ahsoka snorted, throwing bombs at spots too high for her to reach. "You don't know Skyguy like I do. He can be really overprotective sometimes."

Luke swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat with some difficulty."Sounds like Master Skywalker really is an exceptional Jedi," Luke smiled a fake smile at his work as he tried to ignore the pain in his chest, thumping from her casual words. He really tried, but the tight squeezing wouldn't disappear. He couldn't push it aside as easily as everything else, and his resulting frustration was getting persistently harder to fight as well.

"He is, but I guess you'll get to see that yourself."

"_Hands up, Jedi!"_

They froze. Not believing that they hadn't noticed the droids enter the roof, Luke looked around stonily.

Battle droids, super battle droids and even droidekas were trimming their guns at them and coming closer.

"Echuta," Luke cursed.

How moronic, how utterly stupid. They were so close and then messing up just before their goal.

He couldn't believe how he had let his guard down. He knew better than this!

_"Put all your items down. Slowly."_ A yellow marked commando droid ordered, the others moving slowly around them in a circular motion, but careful to keep their distance. Ironic they did so when their lightsabers were broken anyway.

Having no choice Luke slipped his supplypack from his back and let it drop to the ground. He exhaled, clearing his emotions to resignation. For now.

It was so easy to forget pain when in danger.

Next to him Ahsoka was purposefully taking more time in following their demand as she slid a hand in side her pack, feeling around for the object of her desire and speaking to Luke conversationally and seemingly randomly. "I bet I can still jump into that hole. It's not that far and it's definitely away from out little presents."

At first he looked uncomprehending, but after a sharp flicker from her eyes in the right direction he nodded, his face falling into tight concentration and she saw him bent his knees and felt, to her alarm, only barely how he focused the Force.

Ahsoka's hand closed around a cylinder-formed piece of wet metal and she jerked her head sharply.

Luke jumped, catapulting of the ground, rushing through the hot air and softening his fall by rolling down the stairs at contact. He came to a stop securely on the fourth floor. Inside the building.

Ahsoka landed next to him, smirking, "good bye". She pressed the detonator.

There was no explosion.

Luke got a really bad feeling that had nothing to do with the Force and, before looking up, exchanged a glance with Ahsoka.

There was multiple clicking of weapons.

_"Don't move, Jedi."_

Luke looked up into many barrels of beam rifles.

Not only was the fourth floor also full of droids, their bombs were defective, making their mission impossible even if they weren't captured.

They were let down back to the ground floor, hands behind their heads and more guns than Ahsoka wanted to know pressed into their backs.

Instead a mantra repeated itself in her head. She was too tired to fight it, hardly being able to walk upright with her knees shaking. _You let your Master down. You let Skyguy down. You let Anakin down. You disappointed your Master. You let him down. You let the people down. The woman believed in you._

It was a never-ending whisper from the back of her head and she could do nothing but listen to it. Too exhausted to even feel frustration, or even anger. (And that was a rarity.)

Instead tears prickled behind her eyes, because she knew the truth of each and every word. She failed. She was a failure.

She was too absorbed in her thoughts to notice the reason the building was called palace; green flowers hung from painted walls, the floor was polished and made of a special kind of stone, if doors were used they ran on electricity, and in the centre there was a blooming garden with a small pond.

Luke noticed all this tiredly, but it did nothing to ease the feeling of emptiness that was invading his thoughts with each waking moment. It was a horrible feeling. So horrible that he didn't dare lose to it.

He wondered if he had ever felt this terrible before and if he'd ever find out now. He wondered why I hurt so much when Ahsoka had mentioned Master Skywalker and why, with his empty sluggish mind, he felt _wrong_.

And he wondered if this was the will of the Force, too.

If they were destined to die.

And then he wondered why he was accepting that fate so easily when every logical thought in his mind screamed at him to resist, to live. But why should he, the tried part of his mind argued. It wasn't like he had _something to live for._

They came to a stop in front of a double winged door in a seemingly unimportant hallway. At least it didn't look important; those are always placed at the end of a hallway. Otherwise they wouldn't be intimidating enough.

The doors opened and Luke was displeased to know his observation had not been close.

It was obvious someone had extended great deal of effort to make the room, doubtlessly one of the biggest in the building, appear befitting for something akin to royalty. Imported, finely trimmed trees stood at the wall, growing steadily taller the closer they came to the wooden throne at the very end of the room some forty feet away. Expensive vases, standing between the trees, were stuffed with flowers and a red carpet led to the up to the throne, on which a Skakoan member of the Technounion sat, reading a datapad.

Luke almost scoffed at the cheap imitation nobility. (He didn't bother to wonder how he knew what a real throne room had to look like.) It was laughable, especially considering that he didn't even know this person's name never mind the fact that he was not Wat Tambor, the Separatist leader on this planet.

The Skakoan strolled down from his throne, circling them like a buyer would inspect merchandise, while seemingly comparing them with something on his pad. "Ah, yes," he said and Luke could hear the greed in his voice, even with his facial features hidden behind his clothes. "Ahsoka Tano. Anakin Skywalker's Padawan. Did you know you carry a fine bounty for someone your age?"

He was leaning in her face, forcefully turning her head to the side, inspecting her.

Luke felt his temper boil and he wondered how she refrained from spitting in his face.

Then the Skakoan turned to him, no longer as satisfied. "You on the other hand are unimportant. What's your name?"

"James Skipfoot."

He felt Ahsoka switch her stare. The Skakoan didn't seem to have caught the lie however, as he was scrolling down a list of Wanted Jedi on his datapad.

"Worthless scum," the Separatist mumbled under his breath, obviously displeased with Luke's unimportance. "Who's your Master."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi." There wasn't much he could have lied about that; only three Jedi were active fighting for Ryloth, all high profile, and Luke figured whatever was going to happen might even get worse should he have named Master Windu.

"Kenobi, really. Unless…not even able… How fortunate for you," they were told. "You both get to keep your lives. Tano's head will gather me a fine sum and Skittool will make the clones surrender. How fortunate. How incredibly fortunate, don't you think?" He exclaimed eccentrically, gliding back to his throne, "Take them away to the cells. I must negotiate terms of surrender."

Blasters to the back, they were led out.

Luke fiddled with the rim of his glove, thinking.

* * *

Obi-Wan was listening to a report about the loss they sustained in the battle, human resources and otherwise, when the clone came running.

"Generals," the trooper called, saluting, slightly out of breath. "We have an incoming transmission from the city."

Obi-Wan frowned, not liking the sound of it.

"Is it from Ahsoka?" Anakin inquired, dropping what he was doing in favor of news about his Padawan, obviously worried.

A voice sounding like Qui-Gon Jinn congratulated Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi yet again for roping his former student into taking an apprentice of his own.

Obi-Wan ignored it, having a _bad _feeling even before the clone hesitated with is answer. "Not exactly, Sir. Sut Drugal demands immediate surrender for the lives of Ahsoka Tano and … a James Skipfoot?"

Anakin froze, growing cold.

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose.

* * *

Ahsoka dropped against the wall, sliding to the floor, dead tired mentally and physically. She had no motivation to even try asking the Force for help.

What good would it do?

She and Luke were stuck in a cell, an electrical one impossible to open with only the help of the Force. Two small barred windows as light sources were too small for them to fit through even without iron blocking their way.

But she couldn't stand doing nothing either; it reminded her of defeat. "James Skipfoot?"

Luke smirked mischievously, but Ahsoka didn't see it, having buried her head in her arms and hugging her legs close. "I couldn't resist."

Ahsoka snorted, and then sighed deeply, her chest heavy.

"I found something positive about this," Luke said after a while his voice slow and soft and Ahsoka just wanted to sleep and never wake up.

"What?"

"We are safe."

"Your definition of save is very different from mine," she informed him dryly, "and I suggest you rethink that as well. What do you think he will do once he finds out master Kenobi has no Padawan with that name."

Luke shrugged, eyes lost without focus as he was sitting next to her, his left hand fingering the glove on his right.

"The lock is only there to keep us in, not them out. We aren't safe. Luke?"

But he was no longer listening. Jumping up he pressed his face between the iron rods, eyes intent at the glowing panel on the opposite wall of their cell door.

"You have the better eyes, Ahsoka," he said, unreasonably exited, "do you see a slit for key cards or something? Next to that?" He pointed at the panel, grinning wildly, almost jumping on his feet with energy Ahsoka envied.

She eyed him warily, but got up none the less and took a look; anything to distract her thoughts from her failure. "Yeah, there is. What of it?"

His grin threatened to split his face. Ahsoka had to avert her eyes, feeling even worse for some reason, while Luke practically skipped over to the light falling through one window.

He winked her over as he plopped down to the ground, fingering his glove again. "I know how to get out."

Ahsoka's heart skipped a beat."How?"

With renewed will to fight she forgot her tiredness, her senses growing alert again and suddenly she felt the Force around her again. Wonderfully vibrantly as it vibrated with Luke's excitement.

"It's easy, really," he told her and Ahsoka recognized his tone from when he had explained her fighters mechanics to her; fascination, a bit of excitement and glee. "The kinds of locks like the one out there use cards as keys. Meaning inside the card slit there has to be some device to read information. Most of the time it's an electrical pattern that, sent through the card, will change to a specific frequency. That's why those are hard to cheat open; without the card you don't know what kind of volumic mass the lock requires. But that kind of system also has a weakness."

"So?"

He had his back turned to her and was fiddling with something in his lap. Ahsoka stepped closer, looking over his shoulder

She forgot how to breathe, the air catching painfully in her throat at the sight of a gray hand glinting metallically in the light.

"I'm saying I can short-circuit it. Then we can open the cell with brute force. Hold this for a moment?" He handed her a short, red colored wire that he had literally worked out of his hand. Ahsoka felt lightheaded.

Luke never noticed; he had no tools and the mechanics working a hand were too sensitive and small to touch with his fingers only, so he focused on the only other tool the still had, thinking himself into the little wires until he found the one he had been searching for.

The one he needed had green color, he knew, and it linked his nerves with the sinew of his little finger. He wouldn't be able to move that limp anymore now.

He twirled it easily out, hardly feeling the strain and energy it cost to focus the Force as clearly as he did. With machines, anything with wires really, it was always like that; he could work for days to no end, forgetting to eat even.

It was just so much fun.

Handing the green one to Ahsoka as well he moved to loosen the last, this one a dark blue and a bit thicker than the other two. Removing it he lost the ability to move his entire hand, but it was a small price to pay.

After he had sealed his hand shut again and pulled his glove over it with some trouble, he got up only watch Ahsoka staring at him with an unreadable expression on her orange skin.

"What," he asked, taking the cables from her open palm and already losing interest in her reply as he connected the three, tying them together in a simple pattern that was sure to fry the lock's circuit.

He never heard if Ahsoka said anything.

She didn't, her brain a bit not yet having caught up with the present again. She was caught up on a single thought.

There was something. Something about Luke. Something really important, but she couldn't put her finger on it. But it was there. In the way he talked, reacted, moved even. It was familiar and yet Ahsoka was sure she had never seen him before.

"Hey, I need your help now."

She blinked.

Luke was pulling at the bars, unsuccessfully trying to move the door. The keyhole on the wall was smoking.

She blinked again, then set to help him.

The metal screeched, opening much too loud, but it moved and soon they pushed open a gape big enough for them to slip through.

"How many?" Luke whispered as they reached the final door of the so-called prison tract.

"Two," she whispered back, pausing her hand above the button to open the door, "four at most."

Luke nodded, frowning in concentration.

"Ready?"

He nodded again, focusing in on the door, his muscles tensing.

Ahsoka pushed the panel and the door slid open almost silently. She only needed a split second to locate the forms of droids.

Two.

And programmed as they were they didn't even notice the danger till they were twitching pieces of metal on the ground; head separated from the body.

The Jedi apprentices were being underestimated. How nice.

She took a rifle from the dead claws of the droid and handed it to Luke who was having trouble making his droid let go of it.

"Thanks," he said, leveling it at eyelevel a bit unsteady with only one hand. "So what do we do now?"

Ahsoka _smirked._

* * *

To say Anakin was in a bad mood was an understatement. As a Jedi he was naturally he very good at hiding it.

His face was blankly set in stone and his presence had all but vanished in the Force.

However Obi-Wan had learned to read the signs over the years and knew his former apprentice was struggling with his self-control. Probably seething and only just refraining from marching head first up to the gates and fighting his way through until he was standing in front of Ahsoka, ready to send her back to the Temple for an extended amount of time.

Usually Obi-Wan would advise patience.

However Obi-Wan was currently in no position advice anyone as he himself was very unsettled.

The reason was currently speaking. A live sized holoprojection gloated in front of them, sitting on some kind of throne with a tactical droid on the right and a commando droid on the left, "the Jedi standards have really fallen. Attempting to fight a lost cause. Never mind in choice of apprentices. The Jedi _I_ have heard of would have not sent their students on a suicide mission. But then again maybe the rumors of the _Noble Knights _have been overeager. Don't you think so, Generals?"

Anakin grind his teeth so hard they hurt.

"Still, I must admit to have expected better of the students of such well known Jedi such as yourselves. Tano and Skipfoot were foolish to even think that sneaking around a city of droids would go unnoticed. Especially if they leave such evidence lying around."

What have they been up to, Obi-Wan wondered, watching Drugal playfully finger a droid popper in his hands.

"No matter. I suppose I should be thankful for the tokens of victory you have handed me. If you wish to see either of them alive you shall recall your troops and leave the planet."

It was business now, finally. But Obi-Wan was anything but grateful. Anakin's temper would have held much longer, but while Drugal was gloating it meant he didn't yet have to face a situation he was unsure how to deal with. No, that wasn't true. Obi-Wan knew exactly how he was to proceed. And that was what he didn't want to face. Because they both knew there was in reality no business to discuss. They could not hamper the war effort for the perseverance of two lives only; not only was it against military procedure it was also forbidden by the Jedi Code.

"We shall see what happens after that."

"Unfortunately, Sir Drugal, your demand is difficult to obey. Maybe a ransom…", Obi-Wan tried, feeling sick, remembering the quiet boy with big blue eyes and knowing he'd have to abandon him if it came to that. Situations like this were the reason why Obi-Wan had never wanted another Padawan; with Anakin he had always been desperate with worry and Obi-Wan never had the intention to allow another student to worm its way past the attachment rule into his heart.

Luke hadn't yet, but he still felt sick.

"No, Master Kenobi," the Skakoan sneered immediately, "either you leave this planet or you will have the blood of two innocent little children on your hands."

"You wouldn't dare," Anakin cut in, finally, eyes blazing, words threatening. Obi-Wan had almost wondered what took him so long. "If you harm them there will be nothing protecting you in curt, when we capture you. And we _will _capture you." He was scratching close to breaking the way of the Jedi, but right now Anakin didn't care. All that mattered was getting Ahsoka back. Everything else didn't matter. He could always clean up later. Focus in the Here and Now.

Ahsoka's live took precedence.

His former Master shot him a warning glance.

Anakin ignored him expertly.

"We won't leave the planet, but we can retreat from your city," Obi-Wan compromised, "but we need to be assured the children won't be harmed."

It was the most Obi-Wan could allow; it was not the Jedi way to value one live over another, but it also was not their way to give up on a live if it could be saved.

"Master Kenobi," Drugal said, standing up and moving about impatiently, his tone suggesting anger, "did I not make myself clear? You do as I say or –"

Two blaster shots flashed in the projection, just missing the Skakoan, and effectively cutting him off. A figure jumped at the Separatist not a second later, wrestling him to the ground, even as two distant crashes signaled the demise of droids in the room.

"Anakin, is that Ahsoka?"Obi-Wan asked, looking mouth slightly agape at the young Togruta girl, who was pressing her supposed capturer to the ground, a knee in his back and hands having an iron grip on thick arms, which she pinned to the back.

"It is," Anakin replied, expression falling absolutely slack.

* * *

"Gotcha," Ahsoka smirked, squeezing her hands a bit harder as she felt muscles twitch under layers of clothes. "Don't move."

"Nice," Luke commented, shooting of the blaster a few more times to make absolutely sure the only two droids in the room were destroyed. "Now we only have….," he trailed of color rushing to his face as he identified the holograms they hadn't bothered with at first glance.

_"Ahsoka."_

It was only one word, but it was said in such a tone that made her pale and freeze up in embarrassment at the same time.

She turned her head, eyes immediately seeking the pale blue apparition of her Master.

Opening and closing her mouth a few times she was at a loss for words.

Arms crossed over his chest the projection of Anakin Skywalker crooked a single eyebrow, face blank.

Definitely. Not. Amused.

"Ma-Master," she tried, embarrassment and shame scrambling in her sleep deprived brain, "I … uh…We…What are you doing here?"

_"Negotiating terms of surrender."_ His tone was dryer than the tatooine desert. Never a good sign.

"Oh…ah…," she licked her lips. "Then we came just at the right time? I mean this guy here would love to surrender."

Luke agreed, steadily avoiding looking at both Masters. Kneeling down at the Skakoan's head and leveling his rifle very clearly at the head, he made it very clear there was no negotiating going to happen.

There was a fearful intake of air instead of words.

_"I'm sure you have, Sir Drugal convinced,"_ Master Kenobi commented, stroking his beard.

"Who?" Ahsoka asked stupidly, making the mistake of looking up the projections looming over her and feeling a bit worse still; guilt nagging at her and shame flushing her head-tails in pronounced red.

_"Sut Drugal. The guy you are sitting on,"_ her Master explained, and Ahsoka dared to hope she heard a tiny bit of amusement.

"Oh," she said. "So, Sir Drugal will you please tell your droids to shut down the shiledprojector. And to go to sleep-mode after that?" She held a communicator Luke had nicked out of a droid in his face.

"One wrong word and I might accidentally pull this little trigger in surprise," Luke informed him evenly, letting the cold barrel come into contact with the bald green head of their prisoner.

* * *

The so called occupation of the city had been easy. As soon as the shield went down, Anakin let a small troop right through the main gate, confirmeing the droids' deactivation, transmitted the fact to Obi-wan so that he could start breaking down camp while Anakin and his troops dismantled the droids and went to pick up a new prisoner.

It had been easy, but then he arrived at the room. Walking in on a loud argument between both Padawans, screaming at each other, with Drugal lying unconscious and forgotten on the side-lines Anakin raised an eyebrow in mild interest.

"You have got to be kidding! You couldn't have just-! Do you know what you did?" Ahsoka was screaming hands balled to fists and stance aggressive. While the agressiveness wasn't overly out of character for her, the true rage fuming off her was.

"Then what should I have done! There wasn't any other option!" Obi-Wan's new Padawan was yelling back and Anakin was caught off guard at the sight of the shy boy behaving nothing like the impression he had given before. Though maybe, Anakin amended, the boy was not shy but insecure.

"You could have told me! Could have told them!"

"How was I supposed to know you didn't know? And what would telling them have changed?"

Anakin signaled the clones to take Durugal with them and leave.

Neither Padawan noticed.

"They would have been warned!"

"I would have taken their hope!"

"We could have found another way!"

"That's Banthaspit and you know it!"

"It still wasn't reason enough!"

"Then what should I have done? Tell me! Do you think I didn't want to? Do you think I enjoyed letting them walk to their death? Can't you see what would have happened had we just been a minute late! What do you think how many people would have died? How many lives would have been wasted?" This seemed to be much deeper than it had seemed at first sight. Anakin didn't interfere yet.

"Do _you _think I don't know that?_"_

"Then why the kriffin' hell-"

"Because it still doesn't make it right!"

Like a switch being flipped the boy crumbled, his hard eyes giving way to a volunerable look and his red flushed cheeks paled. He tugged on his glove with trembling fingers. "Then what should I have done?" His voice was soft with struggle and regret; Anakin didn't like it. "Tell me. Because I don't know._"_

"All right, what's going on here?" Anakin demanded, cutting in harshly.

Ahsoka whirled on him, her eyes blazing in fury and tears burning in her eyes. "Luke had a vision," she hissed. "Go on. Tell Master Skywalker you let his troopers knowingly walk into death. Tell him there was no other way."

"…What?" Anakin was uncomprehending for a moment, before his mind quickly jumped to scenarios deducted from the pieces of information he had overheard so far.

Instantly the boy looked even more miserable, guilt and sadness rolling of in in waves now that Anakin could actually sense anything other than anger and underlying heavy exhaustion. Shoulders were slumped, head bowed and his expression heavy in the fleeting second he dared to look up at Anakin.

Ahsoka's words reignited a still fresh spark of anger in him that Anakin just managed to put out only minutes before. Taking a calming breath he knew he couldn't allow anger right now. And the boy's reaction told him there was a harsh story there. The thought helped to put the spark out before it flamed.

And he had different priorities right now.

He put a hand on his padawan's shoulder, worriedly aware of the bacta-patches on her body. "Watch your temper Ahsoka. Go check in with the medics and then rest. We will talk later."

She glared, then huffed and stalked off.

It was only Anakin and Luke now. Again. And it already showed signs of turning out similar. Luke avoiding to look at Anakin and Anakin watching Luke.

Luke's breath hitched and his heartbeat sped up. He felt the eyes on him. Intense. He felt them burning. And he was drawn to them like a moth to flames.

He didn't look up, even though it _hurt_ not to.

Exhale.

Luke couldn't take this. Not now. Not again.

Not when he had no control over himself.

Not when he was functioning only just, his rational mind weak and his emotions threatening to run haywire.

Keeping his mind on something that was not Master Skywalker and that was far more important than the man standing in this room with him was what Luke needed.

But there was no such thing.

Luke ran.

And a single word filled his head.

* * *

The mission had gone very wrong, as it turned out. The Separatists had either expected them or simply set precautions defenses in place along the cliff and the little troop under Ahsoka's command had been forced to use the tunnel system they had found by a stroke of luck to complete their mission. Which was why the padawans had ended up inside the city instead of shooting down the shieldgenerator from the city walls with the AT-TE Walkers as planned.

The whole thing had been difficult at best and apparently Luke had kept quiet over an important vision during a decisive moment and it was possibly the reason why eight of Anakin's troopers were indeed dead.

The padawans reported their entire mission with a defeated sort of air that had nothing to with the Force and everything to do with their body language; a twitch here, a tilt of the head there between sometimes uneven breathing. They both had their mindshields firmly in place again after a couple hours of rest.

They hadn't looked at each other once, animosity hanging between them.

They were both dismissed to do their duties before another ordered rest.

"I _told_ you they got along too well."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan sighed, leaning over graphics of further troop movement. "I rather wish you had been wrong, though."

"We can't keep them like this, Obi-Wan. It's only a matter of time before they will be paired up again."

"Speaking from experience, Anakin," Obi-Wan asked a teasing glint to his eyes.

Anakin glared. "Are you ever going to drop the matter with Ferus Olin?"

"Are ever going to drop the Gunguarks Incident?"

"I thought we didn't talk about that?"

"We don't."

Silence.

"Luke and Ahsoka?"

"Let them work it out themselves, Anakin. We can still interfere later."

Anakin let the matter drop, contemplating, before decisively pushing it aside to mull over flight strategies.

He was in charge of air combat over Ryloth after all.

And besides, Ahsoka was his Padawan. She'd mange.

* * *

Ironically, or fatefully, they met again properly on the landing space where he was spending every free minute of his time and where she had to go to prepare her fighter for deployment.

Before that, however, Ahsoka had been doing a lot of thinking. Had she had had the time she might even would have meditated. (It was unheard of.)

"You are lucky", he said wistfully, conversationally, looking at her fighter.

"You like flying," she asked, eyeing him carefully from the corner of her eyes as she checked the engines, thrusters and controls in order.

"Yes. I'm really good at it, too." It wasn't a boast.

Ahsoka nodded simply and they fell into an uneasy silence, disturbed only by the flicking of levers and quiet humming of engines.

"So. My vision."

"Yes," she agreed, becoming tense.

"I'd apologize," he said slowly, carefully, aware of the bad air between them as he trailed a hand over the hull of her machine, "but I really don't know what else I should have done."

Ahsoka swallowed. "I'd apologize too- for becoming angry- but I still think it was wrong to keep it to yourself."

He looked up at that and Ahsoka was drawn to his eyes. They were an intense blue. She had seen those eyes before.

"It's just we are closer than most in the 501st. They just would have given up because of what you saw. And the thought that they might would have survived…"

"Attachment."

She shot him a nasty glare.

"I'm not criticizing you," he said, smiling a sad kind of smile. "I don't think there is anything bad about it."

"It's in the code."

"It's not actually. Not in the original. It says nothing of the sort."

"_What?"_

"Yeah," Luke grinned, "the closest it comes to it is '_Emotion, yet peace'._ I like that version more, to be honest. The newer ones are too binding; limiting even." He sighed.

"The Order still says attachment is forbidden," she said, eying him like she had never seen him before.

"I know," Luke agreed, looking at his hand, his _metal _hand_._

Ahsoka wasn't sure she wanted to know how he lost it.

"If you have any more visions," she began; cutting back to their original discussion and the decision she had come to after a talk with her Master, "then please tell me. I don't mean all, just those concerning my troops and such." And she said with more coldness than she meant, "I know them better than you."

Luke didn't seem to notice, nodding, before hesitantly holding out his hand to her. "Truce?"

She took it, feeling the hardness of iron under her touch and she was suddenly struck again with the nagging feeling of missing something. It hit her like a speeder in mid-air and she couldn't ignore it any longer when Luke turned to leave.

"Who are you?" The question was silly, really, as the answer was obvious, but it didn't occur to her at that moment. It was a question easily answered with few words: Luke, Jedi Padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Yet, Luke stiffened.

Halting his steps, but not turning to face her he sighed so deeply she could see his body deflating with the loss of air.

"I don't know."

She hadn't expected this, but she couldn't really say she was surprised either.

"My name is Luke. Other than that I only have this vague feeling of knowing some people and single word: leia. I remember nothing else." His face was clouded, his eyes becoming much darker with hidden emotions.

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing," he confirmed, frustration leaking for once past his iron control.

"And you weren't told at the Temple?" She asked, sensing there was more, much more about this boy.

Seemingly debating something, Luke hesitated. "I don't think I actually ever was at the Temple. No one seemed to know me."

Ahsoka was past surprise at this point. She cracked a grin. "I guess that explains why I have never seen you before."

An unexpressive shrug.

"How about you start making new memories by explaining to me why again this little button here has the ability to completely kill the system?"

In reality Ahsoka didn't really care to know why, but Luke's eyes lit up, his entire demeanor changing in excitement and he started talking about circuits, physics and stuff she didn't understand.

Off the landing zone, standing the shadows of tents, a man nudged his taller companion with his elbow.

"You owe me lunch at Dex's."

"I know, I know," Anakin replied, unknowingly bestowing his first smile ever at Luke Skywalker, before slipping into his role of Master and General to lead several squadrons into the air.

It was war.

* * *

Today marks the day I leave my teenage years behind me. From now on I am supposed to be a really responsible adult. In theory.

In other words its my birthday.

And I show my New Maturity by ditching my afternoon celebration with family to upload

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. As promised I uploaded this chapter faster than the last and I hope you like it. Concerning the next update however I can't say that. Which is frustrating. But I simply don't have the energy to work any faster. Once I finish A02xF that will change, but for now...

Please leave a review with or without constructive criticism.


End file.
